Forbidden
by DreamyLoner
Summary: Flippy has to go back to the military. He decides to entrust Flaky to his best friend, Sneaky, while he is away. Things are smooth and peaceful at first. But when the traumatizing news of Flippy's death arrives one day, something is destined to change. What can possibly go wrong leaving your lover with your best friend? Flippy x Flaky x Sneaky.
1. Prologue

**Request from: **iHeroine

**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to Mondo Media.

**Remarks: **All characters are in human form.

Please review if you're reading this! :D:D

* * *

First rays of light streaked up as the blazing sun hovered above Happy Tree Town. Spring came unexpectedly early this year. The entire city was embraced by massive groves and dense woods. The gentle breeze seeped through the window gap, filling the household with a sweet aroma it brought along from the garden. Beams of light crept into the room and glistened in an eerie, peaceful way. The red-haired girl made a comfortable turn in her bed and opened her eyes. Immediately, she was blinded by the beautiful, shimmering sunshine. A smile crawled over her face as she slowly slipped out of her cozy bed. She stretched her arms and yawned. _What a wonderful day._ She thought.

Following her regular routines, Flaky pranced into the bathroom, looked herself in the mirror and rinsed her face. After brushing her teeth and combing her exceptionally spiky, troublesome hair, she strolled downstairs, humming a song in the way. One could readily spot the ecstatic expression on her face. The girl was particularly happy today because she was going on a date with her childhood friend as well as her crush, Flippy. She giggled as she cooked herself a breakfast. She usually had two boiled eggs and a bowl of cornflakes. Sometimes though, she would prefer a slice of French toast or a simple cheese sandwich with a carton of milk.

The birds were chirping rhythmically when she left the house. A trim line of fully-grown trees lay on each side of the road. Morning drops came dribbling down and landing on her head, gleaming like dozens of transparent pearls. A motorbike plodded down the street. Handy called out Flaky's name, and tried to wave at her but to his dismay, he had no hands. Flaky grinned back politely, wondering how the amputee ever managed to drive a bike.

Flaky reached the park. Her eyes immediately roamed over the surrounding in search for a familiar figure. It seemed that Flippy hadn't arrived yet. He was seldom late, in fact. Most of the time, he would be there before she was. Leisurely, Flaky sat down on a bench and waited patiently. A couple of minutes later, someone entered the park. To her disappointment, it wasn't Flippy. Pop led his toddler to the playground. Cub began to scamper about quietly in the sand, playing with a toy car he brought with him. The place was tranquil except for the distant barking of a neighbor's puppy. All was seemingly well. Flaky perked up and glanced at the mellow fruits hanging down one of those gigantic trees. She saw her favorite peaches. Gingerly, she approached the tree and attempted to climb it. She was a good tree-climber but this one just wasn't that easy to tackle. It was too enormous and tall. She couldn't possibly reach the fruit. She was halfway there when she suddenly slipped. Fear struck her as she loosened her grip around the stem and fell backwards. Fortunately enough, a pair of strong arms spread out just in time to catch her. Her weight meant nothing to the boy that was scooping her up. She took a glimpse of Flippy and blushed.

"Hi, Flaky." He greeted with a charming smile.

"H-Hi…" She stuttered. Carefully, he put her down.

"So, what were you doing up on a tree?"

"I…er…" Flaky eyed the peach slightly with a faint smile. "Nothing."

"Oh, sorry I'm late." Flippy apologized and all at once he looked at Flaky grimly. "I was having some issues this morning."

"L-Like what?" Flaky inquired.

"Well…I think I have to tell you this sooner or later." Flippy sighed.

"W-What's happened?" Flaky's heart started thumping frantically. Curiosity took the best of her. She examined the changes in Flippy's expressions. He was now staring at the ground, scratching the back of his neck.

"Flaky, I received a call from the army this morning. I have to go back to wars soon."

Flaky widened her eyes upon hearing the news. It hit her first as a surprise and in a flash, it turned into trauma. Was it real? Flippy was going back to the war? He was a soldier, all right, but wasn't this a bit too sudden? She had no psychological preparation whatsoever. Last time he went to wars, he almost got himself killed and he returned with PSTD. She could hardly imagine what might happen the second time he headed back to the battlefield.

"No, Flippy, don't go." Flaky tugged his sleeves, her eyes getting watery at once. "I don't want you to leave."

"Sorry Flakes, but it's an order I have to comply with. I will be back."

"But…for how long?"

"I…I don't know." Flippy murmured. "A few months maybe…or a year or two…"

"No! Why must they pick you? Can't you reject the offer?" Flaky pressed on. "You don't really want to fight, do you? Say you…don't!"

"Flakes." Flippy grabbed both of her shoulders and gazed at her seriously. "I'm a soldier. I have to fight for my nation when the situation needs me to. It's my duty. I can't simply decline the mission because I want to stay here…with you."

"B-But…But…" Flaky pouted, not wishing to believe that Flippy was leaving soon. She could hardly live on her own. He was her best company, her soulmate. How could she bear another year without him around? It would be a living hell!

"Flakes, look at me." Flippy said. Slowly, Flaky averted her eyes to stare at him. A reassuring smile emerged on Flippy's face as he wiped off her tears. "I'll set off the day after tomorrow. I'll definitely come back. I promise."

"R-Really?" Flaky whined. "You must!"

"I will." Flippy vowed and pressed his lips against hers. Flaky ceased whimpering and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. The news was still too overwhelming but she knew she had to get over it. She couldn't let herself become a burden to Flippy at times like this. Apparently, it wasn't his preference to leave either but he was bound by the grave responsibility to serve his country. It was his decision to become a sergeant in the first place and so must he commit himself to the military.

"There, there, my crybaby, it isn't that bad. You know I'll always return, right?" Flippy smiled, fondling her cheeks. Flaky merely swallowed her sobs and nodded. She had to trust Flippy no matter what. She must have faith in him.

"Don't worry. I won't just leave you alone. Someone's got to take care of you in my place." Flippy asserted, hugging her.

"I…I don't need anyone…I only want you." Flaky confessed.

"Don't be stubborn. You know you can hardly look after yourself, so I've sorted it out. I'm gonna call someone to watch you for me." Flippy said.

"W-What? W-Who?"

"You know him as well. We hung out together when we were kids. This time, he doesn't get a mission so he'll be staying behind."

"You mean…"

"Yes, dear, Sneaky, our best friend." Flippy grinned confidently.


	2. Departure

Flaky wanted so much for Flippy to stay but she knew she had to stop being such a baby. No matter how stubborn she was, he was far too honorable to abandon his deeds. His mind was all set. Even she could not alter that.

The girl stood nervously on the train platform. She had kissed him a goodbye. They had said their farewells. Now, it was her attempting to hold back her tears. The first time he left, she cried for hours. This time, she expected it would be the same. She just couldn't bear to see him leave twice in her life. She wished he would return safely and triumphantly, like last time.

"Have you got everything you need, Flippy?" Flaky asked anxiously.

"Yes, dear, I have." Flippy grinned and kissed her slightly on the cheek.

"Please, please, be careful, okay? Tell Fliqpy also."

"Yes, I will." Flippy said. "When the train takes off, I want you to wait for a while because Sneaky will come to the station to pick you up."

"Well, he doesn't…have to. I can walk home on my own." Flaky said.

"No, I have to make sure you're protected every second of your life." Flippy claimed. "I don't want you to die or even get hurt. You know how clumsy you are, don't you?"

Flaky blushed and chuckled. She loved Flippy so much. Even before his departure, he cared dearly about her safety more than his own. She was both happy and sad at the same time. She would want someone to protect Flippy as well. And she sincerely hoped Fliqpy would keep Flippy alive till the very end. She forced a smile on her face as Flippy hugged her. His embrace was always warm and tender. In his arms, she felt small and secure. It was depressing that this pair of strong arms could no longer hold her for the next few months or possibly years. She sighed.

"What's wrong?" Flippy asked upon hearing her sigh.

"Nothing…" Flaky shook her head. "Just hug me…a little longer. I want to stay like this…"

"Sure." Flippy granted her wish. He cuddled her tightly. She nestled her head on his chest and wept quietly. The chiming bells broke off the serene moment between them. Flippy withdrew from the hug and picked up his bags.

"I've got to go now, Flakes." Flippy said dolefully. "I'll miss you."

"I love you, Flippy."

"I love you too." Flippy smiled vaguely and stepped into the train. He settled down at the window and waved at her. She waved back, tears trickling down her cheeks. Slowly, the train began to move. She watched Flippy drift farther and farther away from her. Eventually, his face vanished from her sight. Nothing remained but a thong of people gathering around the platform. They, too, were here to send their last regards to their beloved ones who were sent back to wars. Flaky wandered in the crowd for a while before suddenly remembering she had to wait for Sneaky. Reluctantly, she found an empty bench and sat down.

A couple of minutes later, someone stopped in front of her. She was staring at the ground, oblivious to the presence of this particular someone until he called out her name. "Flaky?"

Abruptly, Flaky perked up, meeting two gorgeous emerald eyes. Blinking down at her was a young man in a lime green jacket and a pair of black jeans. His dark green hair was combed neatly and his bangs were brushed slightly to one side. A beam of delight flashed on him as he spotted her.

"Sneaky?" Flaky stood up. She still had to lift up her head because he was just as tall as Flippy.

"Thought it was you." Sneaky smiled. "Has Flippy left already?"

"Er…yes." Flaky said with a melancholy face.

"Oh…" Sneaky sighed. "I wanted to come this morning but I got caught in work…"

"It's okay." Flaky assured him. "He won't mind. He's already glad that you've come to…pick me up…"

"Don't say that. I promised him to take care of you. Do you want me to help carry your handbag?" Sneaky offered.

"No, it's…it's fine…Plus…you have your own things to carry." Flaky said, pointing to Sneaky's luggage.

"Oh come on." Sneaky snatched the handbag from her. "Adding one doesn't make much difference. You are still the same old self, Flaky. Always worrying too much."

"I…I guess so…" Flaky blushed slightly, fidgeting with her hands.

"Let's get going."

The two walked off slowly. Flaky felt rather awkward at first, considering she hadn't seen Sneaky since high school graduation. They used to live in the same neighborhood, together with Flippy. The three grew up and went to school together. After high school, the boys went to the join the army for three years. When they came back, Sneaky's family moved to the other side of the town.

"W-Why didn't they call on you?" Flaky asked.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Sneaky laughed. "They don't find me useful, I guess."

"How? You fought well." Flaky commented. She had heard from Flippy that Sneaky was…well, like his nickname, very sneaky. He could break into the enemies' campsite in a flash, not to mention he was also extremely fast at killing.

"Nah, certainly not as skillful as your boyfriend." Sneaky snickered.

Flaky flushed when she heard him address Flippy as her boyfriend. In fact, they were never an official couple. They were about to become one but then Flippy received this urgent mission from the military. Occasionally, they would go on a date. There were hugs and kisses. But they never addressed each other as girlfriend and boyfriend. Was he really her boyfriend? Or simply just an intimate sort of friends? Sure enough, she still hadn't got the opportunity to clear things between them. She had a huge crush on him but now that he had left again, she had to wait yet another year. Perhaps then, she could finally gather her courage and confess truthfully to Flippy.

Flaky opened the door and switched on the lights. She couldn't fathom why Sneaky had to stay at her house. He could have stayed at Flippy's. Needless to say, it was Flippy's idea again and the reason was just absurd when she asked Sneaky about it.

"He said there is this blue-haired hero-wannabe who is constantly trying to flirt with you. And then there is this pair of twins who keeps trying to harass you." Sneaky said. "So, he wants me to stay beside you and watch you 24 hours straight. That's what I was told to do."

Flaky gawked at Sneaky, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe Flippy went that far just to keep her away from Splendid and the kleptomaniac twins. He had entrusted her to Sneaky simply because he thought other boys would hit on her while he was away. The amateur hero was a pervert, all right, but he basically meant no harm. He wouldn't just barge into Flaky's house when Flippy was out in the wars. Plus, Flaky had been rejecting him several times. The hero should have caught the slightest hint even if he didn't have a smart brain. As for those two thieves, they never really got to do anything to Flaky because she would often scream loudly. Once she attracted people's attention, the two helpless boys would flee right away.

"It's creepy." Flaky frowned. "I mean, 24 hours straight."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to follow you everywhere." Sneaky smirked. "I'm not a professional bodyguard. I'm just here doing a favor for my best friend."

"Why did you even agree to come in the first place?"

"So, are you suggesting that you don't want me around?"

"No! I…don't mean that…" Flaky clarified instantly. "It's just…you know…Don't you think you're wasting a lot of precious time to watch over someone like me…It's not even…necessary…I can always manage on my own…"

"Not at all. Why would you say looking after a friend is a waste of time?" Sneaky tittered. "As for your question, I'd say I owe Flippy a lot. I can't count how many times he's helped me out. You can say I'm just returning a huge favor to him. But most of all, it's because you're also my friend. That's why."

"Oh…I see..." Flaky smiled. She knew Sneaky was always the kind that never refused his friends' offer. Even if he didn't owe Flippy, he would still agree to help out. He was just loyal and reliable in nature.

"Um…I'll show you around the house first…Then the neighborhood." Flaky instructed, gesturing for Sneaky to follow her.

"Sure, that would be lovely." Sneaky smiled back.

Flaky led Sneaky around the house and got him a brief view of the neighborhood. They had tea afterwards. They chatted for a long while and Flaky had to learn about her friend all over again. They hadn't seen each other for some years, though he hadn't changed much. He still retained his mysterious, humorous side. She wished Flippy was there with them. They could have a fabulous reunion. They used to have so much fun in the past. When she thought of Flippy, she began to tear up again. She hadn't had a time to cry seriously back in the station, with so many people passing by and witnessing everything. At some point, she burst into tears during their meal. Sneaky was telling her some jokes at that moment. When he suddenly saw her wail, he thought she had bitten her tongue.

"Hey, are you…alright?" He asked worriedly.

She merely nodded. She felt silly to suddenly get so gloomy. Flippy had asked her not to cry and yet, she failed to control herself. She was mad at herself as well. She kept wondering why she hadn't confessed bluntly to him before he set off. She could have said she wanted to be his official girlfriend. If she had done so, would he still decide to leave? It would sound like a selfish act then. Deliberately preventing Flippy from going back to wars just to keep him beside her and to satisfy her own desires. It just wasn't appropriate. She could never bring herself to do something like that. He had his duties. His honor. His pride.

"Flaky, is it…about Flippy?" Sneaky squatted down beside her chair, looking up at her sobbing face.

"I really…don't want him to leave…" She whimpered like a crybaby. She wished someone was there to comfort her and to assure her that everything would be fine. She needed to be convinced that Flippy would return to her for sure.

"Look, I know you're sad but please do have faith in him." Sneaky smiled, patting on her head gently. "That guy might be reckless at times but he will most definitely survive. He'll never dare leave you alone in this world, okay?"

Flaky didn't answer. She wiped off her tears and sniffled. At least, Sneaky was here to reassure her. She knew he was always an optimist. He knew just the right way to console someone.

"Frankly speaking, I didn't want him to go either." Sneaky admitted. "If I had a choice, I would have gone with him."

"No! I…I don't want to risk losing two friends at one time!" Flaky yelped, her hands shaking in panic.

Sneaky gawked at her, rather shocked by her speech. His mouth then curved into a faint smile as he took her hands into his. "You really haven't changed a bit. You're too sweet, Flaky. No wonder Flippy would fall for you."

Flaky blushed and automatically averted her eyes back to the table. Somehow, her heart felt soothed. She was really glad Sneaky was there to give her some positive energy.

"Hey, I swear if he doesn't come back, I'll go and find him for you." Sneaky said, grinning confidently.

"R-Really?"

"Yea, and beat the shit out of him for leaving you behind." He giggled.

Soon, Flaky's tears were replaced by a soft little laugh. _A laugh ever so adorable._ She hugged Sneaky merrily, knowing that his genuine promise would always give her hope to move on.


	3. Reassurance

A week after Flippy's departure, Flaky still struggled hard to overcome the trepidation that was afflicting her. The thought of being separated from her lover and the horrendous possibility of him getting injured in wars hunted the redhead every day and night. Even with a seemingly understanding companion beside her, the paranoid girl could barely swallow the fear and anxiety. Sneaky, indeed, noticed his friend's emotional instability. He wished he could have done something to soothe her but all his attempts seemed futile when none of his words could successfully penetrate Flaky's ears. It's then he realized how much she cared for Flippy. At one point, Sneaky even doubted if their relationship was really simply platonic.

Sneaky watched Flaky stride restlessly around the room. Every now and then, when she had nothing in hands, the redhead would start worrying and stuffing her heads with all sorts of horrible thoughts. Her anguish was written all over her face. The male sighed, wondering if there was ever anything he could do for this poor girl. Sure enough, they had been friends for a long time and he understood her personality very well. Still, when it came to actually comforting her, it was indisputably a challenging task for the stoic boy.

"Flaky, do you want to go out?" Sneaky suggested, smiling. He knew Flaky hadn't been out for some time, not since Flippy left. She had been keeping herself at home as frequently as possible, either because she was too doleful to care for the outside world or because she didn't want to go out without Flippy's presence. The only time she ever stepped out of her house was when she needed to go grocery shopping. Sneaky would always tag along with her, acting much like a responsible butler. He would seize every opportunity to chat with her, trying to cheer her up. Nonetheless, his jokes didn't seem so effective. Flaky was always pondering, burying herself in deep thoughts. She had a realm where no one could reach. It was probably a realm she secretly sealed all the affections she harbored for Flippy.

"Um…" Flaky stammered. One moment of distraction caused her to drop the cup she was holding. The glass hit the ground and shattered into pieces. Sneaky widened his eyes and shook his head in dismay. It was the third cup she had broken in two days. Her mind simply drifted off all the time.

"I'm so…sorry!" Flaky panicked, bending over to pick up the shards. Sneaky grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. "Don't touch them, Flaky. You're going to get another cut on your fingers."

Flaky peeked at one of her bandaged thumbs and sighed.

"Here, let me help." Sneaky offered but Flaky stopped him. "No, you're the guest."

"Flaky, do you still care that much if I'm a guest when we've basically know each other for more than ten years?" Sneaky said. "If I let you bleed again, I'm not going to forgive myself. Flippy neither."

Flaky blushed in embarrassment. She knew she had been clumsy and troublesome all the time. If Sneaky hadn't been that patient with her, he would definitely have ditched her long ago. Immediately, a sense of guilt struck her. She was supposed to be brave, according to Flippy's claims, and yet all she did now was to bother Sneaky, making his job of returning his best friend's favor harder than ever.

"I'm…really sorry…" At once, the redhead broke down into tears. Shocked by her abrupt wailing, Sneaky gasped. Without much thinking, he dashed towards her and cuddled the crying girl. He couldn't fully comprehend her emotions for he had never loved someone so much that he would cry over her absence so readily. However, he tried his best to reassure Flaky as he deemed this was the only thing he could do.

"Please, Flaky, you really need to pull yourself together." Sneaky cooed, patting on her head gently. "Let's go out for a walk, okay? We can have some fun. You can't lock yourself up forever. The more you dread, the worse it gets. You must try to see the positive side of things and stop straining yourself so much."

Flaky nodded slightly, still sobbing. Sneaky's words came so sweet and considerate. She was glad he wasn't even fed up with her. He didn't seem annoyed by her extreme paranoid streak either. Eventually, she decided to take his advice for good. She really needed some fresh air after all.

"Come on." Sneaky winked, holding Flaky's small hand. "There's a place I want to show you."

Sneaky led Flaky out of the house and they walked down the street. The afternoon was exceptionally hot. The sun kept blazing down. Flaky had no clue where they were heading to. It seemed more like to her that they were wandering aimlessly in the street. At some point, Sneaky halted in front of a supermarket. The redhead took a brief glimpse of his charming face. The male was contemplating something. When he finally realized what he intended to do, he dragged Flaky into the market with him.

"W-What're we doing here?" Flaky asked curiously. Since she had recently done her shopping, she didn't think it was a wise choice to hang out in the store.

"We'll need some food, drinks and well…I don't know. Anything that you can grab for a picnic." Sneaky laughed softly.

"A what?!" Flaky exclaimed, unsure if she had misheard the word 'picnic'.

"A picnic." Sneaky reiterated.

"No! How…"

Before she could protest, Sneaky snatched a bunch of food and tossed them right into a trolley. He proceeded to grab some drinks and cutlery.

"That's…crazy! I don't want a picnic!" Flaky argued, tugging Sneaky's sleeves like a sulky child. "Please…"

"Flaky, if I'm your guest, shouldn't you at least listen to my request once?" Sneaky smirked, completely ignoring the redhead's struggles.

"Yes, but…"

"It'll be okay." Sneaky assured, his eyes focusing back on the shelves.

Flaky gave up the argument. She knew once Sneaky made up his mind, he wouldn't allow any more concessions.

* * *

The redhead was prancing outside the supermarket waiting for her friend when a pair of arms suddenly hugged her from behind. She jumped in surprise, nearly shrieking.

"Hey, it's just me, Flakes." A gruff voice whispered into her ears.

"And me."

It didn't take her long to recognize those two familiar voices. She spun around and met the mischievous twins. One had a fedora on, smiling slyly at their precious prey. The other one jammed his hands into his pockets. The very same cunning smile crawled over his face.

"Ugh, you two…" Flaky frowned. It's not like she despised them but these two boys had been giving her quite a lot of misery. They were too disturbing to be sure.

"Wanna hang out with us?" Shifty leaned in, wrapping his hand around Flaky's waist. The sensitive girl glared at him and flinched. Her dodge was dismissed when the other twin, Lifty, joined his brother, tracing his hand down to her bottom.

"EEK!" Flaky gritted her teeth and scowled at Lifty.

"What?" Lifty sneered, suddenly groping the girl's bottom.

"Stop it!" Flaky winced. She loathed being teased and harassed by the twins, especially when both of them were on action. One was already enough but tackling two males was worse.

"Nah, I won't." Lifty chuckled, blowing into Flaky's ears. "Lovely hips you have."

"How I wish we could hold them on our lap." Shifty butted in.

"Or perhaps better, have them on our thighs."

"And your top is just as good as your bottom."

"So voluptuous and tempting."

"So tasteful and destroyable."

"So, what do you say, our little red girl?"

"Do you wanna come to our place?"

"We'll have a fabulous time, I'm sure."

"We'll have a blast that you'll never forget."

"Come, Flakes, we want you, right on us!"

"Ha, Flakes, we need you to satisfy our needs."

At this point, Flaky was close to freaking out. She squirmed helplessly trying to break free from their grip. Nonetheless, the two strong boys held onto her even tighter. Almost in a harmonious order, one reached out to stroke her hair, his lips pecking at her neck. The other one slipped his hand underneath her sweater, nibbling her earlobes in the meantime

"S-Stop it….please!" The redhead screeched. In a split second, the two boys were yanked backwards. Shifty was shoved against the wall with a shining dagger clamped over his throat. Lifty was thrown to the ground, trapped under his attacker's foot.

"Err…" The two boys growled at the unexpected interference. They stared in astonishment at Sneaky.

"Excuse me, but this lady is already taken." Sneaky said. "One more touch from you two and I'll send you back to hell."

"Who the fuck are you…" Shifty interrogated.

"Sorry? Did I hear something?" Sneaky snickered, brushing the blade across Shifty's throat. The boy grunted as a lesion slowly became visible around his neck, with blood dribbling down and staining the blade.

"YOU!" The younger twin snarled, attempting to retaliate only to be stomped repeatedly by the young soldier.

"E-Enough…" Flaky stuttered, trembling in one corner.

Sneaky let go of the two vulgar thieves and stood close to the redhead.

"Well, just so you know, I've received an order to keep an eye on this girl." Sneaky said. "She's currently under my protection and if I ever see you try on your tricks again, you know your consequences."

The twins, still gasping, stared at Sneaky in shock. They were beyond furious but they couldn't do anything. In the end, they exchanged a glance and trotted away.

"Are you alright?" Sneaky asked, pleased to see Flaky nod. The redhead snuggled behind the greenette, sniffling.

"Gosh, I can see why Flippy is so desperate to make me guard you." Sneaky rolled his eyes and said. "I was only away for 5 minutes and you've already attracted two filthy bugs."

"I…" Flaky looked down at the ground, fidgeting with her hands. "S-Sorry…"

"You don't have to apologize." Sneaky smiled. "It isn't even your fault. Why are you being so apologetic?"

"B-Because…that's the only thing I can s-say…" Flaky muttered in shame. "I've given you too much tr-trou-"

Sneaky shushed her before she could utter the word 'trouble'. Playfully, he poked both of her cheeks.

"Huh?" Flaky tilted her head in confusion.

"Cute, sweet little thing you are." Sneaky chuckled. "Do I need to buy you some magic pills? You seriously do need to boost your immunity to boys."

"Sneaky!" Flaky flushed, shaking off Sneaky's hands. "Even you're t-teasing me!"

Sneaky laughed at the pouting girl. "It can't be helped. You've always been teased ever since we were kids! You're too fun to make fun of, actually."

"T-This is r-really mean of you, Sneaky." Flaky criticized. "I'm not going on a picnic with you."

"Really?" Sneaky cocked his brows and swung two grocery bags in front of her. "Do you think you can say 'no' when I've bought everything? You wouldn't want these to go to waste, right?"

Flaky pressed her lips together, making a ducky face to show her anger, an act which only caused the male to laugh even harder.

"Phew, sweet Flakes, it's no good you're throwing a tantrum." Sneaky giggled. "It basically has zero effects on me, okay?"

"ERRRR…" Flaky snorted. She had no choice but give up on her childish act. Sneaky would just tease her more if she kept feigning her anger.

"Come, Flakes, I'll drive us there." Sneaky offered.

Briskly, the two hopped into a car and drove off. The drive was longer than expected. Flaky kept inquiring where this special place Sneaky was bringing her to. Yet, as mysterious as he usually is, the boy wouldn't reveal the secret until they were finally there. All the time though, Flaky was able to avert her mind from the grief she had been experiencing. The young soldier told her lots of jokes to keep her happy. At times, he would tease her just to set her off. Her being irate was still better than her being melancholy. He would wish to see more of her other than a gloomy, lifeless expression. Her gorgeous face deserved more than just frowns.

When Sneaky pulled over on the hills, Flaky was taking a nap. The boy sighed as he saw her exhausted body. He was sad but at the same time amazed by her devotion to her crush. Clearly, she was worn-out, both mentally and physically. And yet, she was still waiting, so very dedicatedly for Flippy. When a girl like her could actually pick some other guy from a wide range of choice, she was only waiting for one particular boy to truthfully confess to her. This stung Sneaky's heart. He wondered how long it was going to take Flippy to return. In all honesty, he would want him home faster. As his best friend, he knew Flippy was far too conservative to declare his love boldly. Nevertheless, Flaky deserved an explicit confession. What she yearned for was an official place in Flippy's heart. She didn't merely want to be his lover but his formal girlfriend as well.

"Flaky?" Sneaky murmured, shaking Flaky's shoulder.

"Hmmm…" Slowly opening and rubbing her eyes, the redhead woke up from her sleep. She had had a dream. A beautiful dream in which she was in the meadow with Flippy. They were lying on the ground and gazing up at the azure sky. Everything was so…quiet and perfect.

It was, however, only a _dream_.

"We're here." Sneaky informed.

"Oh…"

The two got out of the car and Flaky was baffled to find them up on the hills. She looked at Sneaky inquisitively, wondering why he had picked such place for picnic.

"Well, we'll just walk a bit upper and we can settle down for a while." Sneaky said, getting all their food out. Together, they trudged along the track that led further up the hills, right to the top.

"S-Sneaky? Why are we-"

"You'll see." Sneaky grinned at Flaky, holding her hand as they walked.

When they eventually reached the top, Flaky gasped. She was by all means stunned by what she saw. Peering down from top, the town looked smaller than ever. A real-life map lay in front of her. She could almost identify each junction of roads and intersection of pavements clearly. All the buildings and constructions looked nothing more than little colorful toys. Everything looked ever so tiny yet amazing. The autumn breeze tapped against her creamy face. She felt like floating in the air.

"Come here." Sneaky said, tapping on the empty spot next to him. Together, they sat down and admired the breath-taking scenery, enjoying their feast.

"Sorry, it's a bit early." Sneaky said, checking his watch. "The sun will be down in a moment. If you're tired, you can take a short nap."

The girl nodded and quietly nestled her head on Sneaky's shoulder. The small trip was grueling but Flaky felt oddly gleeful. At least, she was able to keep her mind temporarily off the terrible worries she had been having. It was obvious that Sneaky was doing all these to make her happier and she couldn't possibly think of any reasons not to appreciate his effort. Even if it was just a friendly deed, she was grateful. She was just glad that someone was there to make her relieved and secure.

"Flaky, wake up. Take a look quickly." Sneaky whispered. Reluctantly, the girl opened her eyes again, only to be mesmerized by the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen. The sun was going down. The light shone over the entire town, blinding the eyes of many. Flaky took a deep breath, unable to look away from the marvelous view before her. It was something beyond what words could describe. In all her life, she had never yet experienced something so dramatically striking. As the light hovered above her, her scarlet hair glistened in a distinctive way, almost resembling s red twinkling star when seen from a distance.

"I've always wanted to bring you here." Sneaky smiled. "Can you see the horizon?"

"Yes." Flaky nodded, her eyes following Sneaky's finger as he pointed to the sun.

"Well, it's the same sunset Flippy is seeing right now." Sneaky said. "It's the same horizon. The same sun. The same feeling. You get what I mean?"

Flaky gulped. She couldn't believe Sneaky was also missing Flippy that much. His words came true and honest though. He made his point. Despite their separation, the three of them were still seeing the same thing, harboring the very same affections towards each other.

"If what we're seeing now is what he's seeing as well, we might be connected in some way." Sneaky tittered. "Look, Flakes, the distance between Flip and us can't be counted by how many miles he is away from here. As long as we're still joined by our hearts, he's always here with us, right? We'll see and feel the same thing. Always."

"Y-Yes…" At once, a stream of tears trickled down Flaky's cheeks. She didn't know why she cried. She was supposed to be joyous and yet…

"F-Flaky?" Sneaky stared at her, puzzled. The boy thought his words should be reassuring. How could he have made her sad instead?

"S-Sorry, I'm just…"

"It's okay." Sneaky mumbled, taking her into his arms. Leaning against him, she wept even louder. She hated being so vulnerable but she couldn't help it. Those tears simply rushed out of her eyes uncontrollably. Nonetheless, she found something else in Sneaky's embrace. It was more than just comfort.

It was _warmth_.

The very same warmth emanating from the sun.


	4. Sensations

Flaky opened her eyes and shrieked, the shrill noise echoing all the way through the corridor. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she continuously gasped for air. Tears slowly escaped her eyes, forming two sparkling streams of little rivers on her cheeks. She slumped against her pillow and sobbed. Soon, her weeps were heard by the young soldier in the next room. Sneaky leapt out of bed and dashed towards Flaky's bedroom, only to find her curling up like a ball and whining like a lost, abandoned child.

"Flaky?" Sneaky frowned, striding closer to the bedside. Flaky's laments grew louder as she recalled her nightmare. She had seen worst though but still the image of Flippy perishing in the battlefield hunted her frequently. Whenever she had one of these terrible dreams, she would wake up and find herself in heaps of sweat and tears. She would cry for the rest of the night hugging her knees and cowering in one gloomy corner waiting for the dawn.

"Gosh, what's happened?" Sneaky asked apprehensively, climbing onto the bed and settling next to her.

"S-Sorry, d-did I w-wake you?" Flaky stared at her companion with guilt. Her question was left unanswered when Sneaky wrapped his arms around her, gently reassuring the girl.

"Nightmare again, huh?" He sighed, rubbing her back smoothly. He felt her nod against his chest. It saddened him to see her suffer endlessly from Flippy's return to wars. She had been having numerous troubled nights, often waking up suddenly and squealing like a baby. He didn't mind being woken by her screech but seeing her wail was something else. It simply tore his heart. It made him feel inferior knowing none of his words were able to comfort her. There was, as always, only one particular person in her mind. No matter what others said to her, she would only think of Flippy. Her realm was solely occupied by that man. Sure enough, Sneaky worried about his best friend too, considering he hadn't called in a while. Flippy had gone for nearly two months and there were barely two mails from him. Flaky was crestfallen and constantly awestruck to a point that she started having serious insomnia and emotional breakdown. Sneaky tried his best to figure out some way which might relieve the girl's anxiety. Yet, his attempts were hardly successful. She would cry in his arms though. Her tears often made him guilty. To know that he was only able to protect her physically and incapable of preventing her inner world from crumbling down tormented the male. At once, he hugged her even tighter, not wishing to let her see his own doleful expression. Strength, as he reckoned, was all she needed and he was the only person left in this world who could grant her that. He couldn't get defeated by his own grief. He had to stay with her till the very end or was he told to do so by Flippy.

Sometimes, Sneaky was beginning to think that this huge favor he was doing for his best friend was more than mere burden. It was an ultimate torture, in fact. Whenever Flaky whimpered in his embrace, it didn't just sting his heart but was also invoking something else. Spending so many weeks alone with a young girl was seriously getting more problematic, especially when she was a completely fragile, breakable milady. He hated to admit it but he had once had a thought of double-crossing his best friend, mostly because of Flaky's behavior. No ordinary man could stand that frail, innocent look that she always carried on her face. Sneaky had no qualms about why Flaky often attracted unlimited attention from boys. She was just…feeble and pathetic. She was so delicate that any men would want to cradle her in their arms, to protect and shield her from any sort of peril. Her vulnerability was a dangerous temptation to be sure.

Nonetheless, this young soldier had immense self-control. At least, he never tried anything on Flaky even when she clung particularly close to him. He would put his whole mind into consoling her. Yes, making her feel better was his utmost priority. As long as she felt comfortable and ceased crying, he would be pleased.

Sneaky took a glimpse of the girl leaning against him. Her breathing had gotten much calmer and steadier. She tilted and nestled her head on his shoulder, her lips curving slightly upwards to reveal a faint smile.

"Flaky?" He whispered her name again. When he earned no response from her, he was convinced that she had fallen back to sleep. Relieved, he carefully lay her down on the bed. He was about to turn around and leave when he found her tugging the edge of his T-shirt. He frowned and tried to put her palm away but it only made her tighten her grip.

"Hmmm…don't leave, Flippy." She muttered, pulling the boy by his shirt. Sneaky tripped and landed back next to Flaky, dumbstruck. He would have clarified to her that he wasn't Flippy but it was a seemingly challenging task to wake a girl who was finally able to sleep in peace after so much suffering.

"Fl-Flippy…" She cooed again. As a matter of fact, Sneaky actually counted the number of times she mumbled Flippy's name. Since he had nothing better to do and since she insisted on making him stay obviously because she had mistaken him for her lover, the boy shrugged and crouched beside her. Everything was fine until she grabbed his neck and dragged him down. Before he could shove her away, she crushed her lips against his. It was simply nerve-wrecking.

"Ermmm…" Sneaky wanted so much to withdraw from the abrupt kiss but if he did push her away, he would definitely wake her. And that would absolutely aggravate the situation. She might even think he was the one to make the approach, trying to take advantages of her while she was asleep when in fact she was the one who was stealing his kiss.

When his struggles failed, Sneaky basically decided to let Flaky have her way. He would just pretend he was Flippy in her dreams and permitted her to nibble his lips as if she was munching a sweet gum. After a minute or two, Flaky finally broke the kiss and flopped back on her bed, cuddling one of her fluffy cushions with a satisfied smile. As for the petrified boy, he was still panting in shock. He couldn't believe he had just kissed a girl, not to mention she was his childhood friend and his best friend's lover. An instant sense of remorse struck him. Although he wasn't practically the one who made the initiative, he had indulged in every second of their intimacy. The soft touch and texture of her lips still lingered about him. The moan she muffled as they kissed each other passionately was provoking something within him. It was…a feeling of arousal.

Immediately, Sneaky strayed away from the sleeping lady and collapsed to the ground, ashamed of his inability to rebel from the kiss. He couldn't have done worse. How could he have let Flaky kiss him? Even if she was clearly mistaking him for Flippy. Still, she shouldn't be enjoying that kiss. It was wrong. _Just wrong._ If she woke up the next day remembering this incident, how might she feel? She could have entered another severe psychological breakdown.

Swiftly, Sneaky rushed back into his room. He clamped his hand over his mouth with an expression ever so bitter. His heart was racing. His skin was burning. His tears…were blurring his vision. For once in his life, he felt so…melancholy and despaired. He could have concealed all his emotions if only she hadn't kissed him. Now, every feeling he had been trying desperately to seal away just flared at him in a flash. Despite the inappropriateness, he couldn't help feeling peculiar towards his childhood friend. He was…starting to feel something more than the sole affection he harbored towards her as a friend.

* * *

"S-Sneaky…wake up…"

The tremulous voice together with the little poking from the redhead startled the male. He sat up in his bed and at once the light blinded him. He stared at Flaky nervously. Flashbacks of the previous night's scenes were still swarming his head. He couldn't take his eyes off her soft, cherry lips. When she noticed his weird glances, she blinked at him curiously.

"Is there something on my mouth?" Flaky asked.

It took Sneaky a while to respond by shaking his head. He looked away sheepishly. His head hurt. This throbbing pain was more than the result of inadequate sleep. When he eventually realized he might be having a migraine, she had had her hand on his forehead. He cringed timidly from her but that didn't stop her from touching him.

"Wait, just a moment." Flaky said. Soon, her expression sank and she ogled him anxiously. "Oh no, I-I think y-you're running a f-fevever."

"What?" He thought he had misheard the word 'fever', for as far as he knew, he hardly got sick. Illness just wasn't his vocabulary. He could count how many times he had had a fever since birth with just five fingers.

"D-Don't get up, S-Sneaky." Flaky said, pressing him down on bed. "Y-You must take some rest. S-Should I c-call in for a doctor? You're burning!"

"Flakes, I'm perfectly fine." Sneaky dismissed her claims and got back up, but the headache was again afflicting him.

"No, you're not f-fine." Flaky said. "I-It must be flu or something. You must have caught a cold while waking up in t-the middle of the night because of me. I-I'm s-so sorry…"

Sneaky gaped at the girl in astonishment as she started bursting into tears again. He had no idea why she was casting unnecessary blame on herself. It wasn't her fault that he was having a fever…or was it? He could have been pretty much traumatized by the kiss accident the prior night. Still, a strong boy like him wasn't supposed to catch a cold just because he had been waking up regularly at midnight.

"I-I'll b-bring the breakfast up h-here and get you some pills." Flaky sniffled. "D-Don't move. Lie down and sleep for a little longer."

"But Flakes, I should-"

"It's enough, S-Sneaky. You've been following me around every single minute for the p-past two months. Y-You must be exhausted…Please, I'll be fine on my o-own for a day or two." Flaky smiled. "Just rest and no more t-talking. I'll g-get something to cool down y-your temperature first."

Sneaky gasped, hardly believing that his immunity was wrecked for once. Perhaps Flaky was right. He was tired. It had become his daily routine to wake up before she did and to prepare breakfast for her the first thing in the morning. Then, he would do the chores for her, go shopping with her, drive her to wherever she wanted to visit, get her some tea and supper, watch TV with her and finally tuck her into bed. And if she cried in her sleep, he had to dart into her room and solace her, assuring that everything was alright before she dozed off again. Being her bodyguard was indisputably a grueling experience and yet he had agreed to Flippy's request without hesitation. Even though he had always known taking care of Flaky would be a difficult, irritating task, he had still gone along with it. He hadn't complained anything, not when she was being exceptionally sulky and rebellious. Either when she was sad or worried, he would always retain the very same tolerant, optimistic attitudes. His unusual patience with her apparently didn't just emanate from a lifelong friendship. It had to be something else.

"Sorry, I can't help you with anything today." Sneaky sighed.

"Why, you've helped me more than enough!" Flaky argued, pulling the blanket over his body. "Let me nurse you once. It'll be a nice change." The girl giggled and left the room.

The boy took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He wasn't so confident about being nursed by Flaky. The girl was clumsy as hell. She could hardly do things right by herself. That explained why Flippy felt insecure leaving her behind without care. Yet, her friendly offer was incredibly pleasant to Sneaky. He might as well let her look after him once in a while. After all, she was an undeniably sweet, thoughtful girl.

* * *

"Feeling better?" Flaky asked after Sneaky took two tablets of Panadol and a cup of warm water.

"Yea." Sneaky said, slumping back against his pillow. "Thanks, Flaky."

"I'm glad your fever is going down." The boy blushed when Flaky placed her hand on his forehead again.

"Yea, maybe I can make you dinner tonight."

"NO!" Flaky yapped. "Don't do that! All you need today is rest and rest and…well…rest."

"Wow, too much rest. I can't sleep anymore." Sneaky laughed.

"I-I don't c-care. Y-You aren't getting out of bed until your fever is gone." Flaky pouted. "A-And I mean, completely gone."

Sneaky chuckled. He couldn't deny Flaky's motherhood was another alluring attraction. She might be clumsy but she surely knew how to take someone into great care. At least, she possessed a warm heart to start with.

Her being extraordinarily considerate and kind towards him again troubled the sick boy. He wished he could forget everything about the kiss. But even a sweet word that came from her mouth now had the power to mesmerize him. He wondered how long he could survive until he was finally, wholly captivated by this young lady. There would be no turning back then. He would be betraying both his honor and his best buddy. Undoubtedly, he couldn't do that. Being a traitor was the last thing he wanted in his entire life.

"I'll be here just in case you need a-anything." Flaky sat down on a chair near Sneaky's bedside.

"Really, you don't have to-"

"Please, l-let me do s-something f-for you." Flaky shushed him. "You've been h-helping me out too much…I feel really sad that I ain't able to do a-anything for you."

"Flaky, if you seriously want to do something for me, please smile." Sneaky said, running his hand across her gorgeous, rosy cheek.

"S-Smile?"

"Yes." Sneaky nodded and grinned. "I love your smiles. I want you to be happy. And I know you worry about Flip, but please don't let tears always drench your face. You're too pretty to shed any tears."

Flaky chortled quietly at his silly joke. As always, he had his way to cheer her up somehow. She felt awful having plunged him into misery with her. She knew well he cared dearly for her and it hurt him to see that she wasn't feeling any better despite his comfort. Nonetheless, the fact is, she always felt happier when he was around. She might still be crying but his presence had a significant role in her heart. Without him, she couldn't have survived so many distressful, lonely nights. His oath of staying with her until Flippy came back always kept her motivated. It was the only reason she was still standing brave and determined until this day.

"See, it's always better when you smile." Sneaky smirked.

" T-That's only for y-you, Sneaky." Flaky tittered.

She might have said it so very casually but the boy's heart skipped a beat when he realized she was only smiling for his sake. Uncontrollably, he started fondling her face. She kept that heart-warming grin on her face as she touched his palm in return.

"Take a nap, Sneaky. I'll be staying here with you." Flaky purred.

"Okay." The boy smiled and closed his eyes with contentment.


	5. Perplexity

Sneaky gazed at the girl across him. Her creamy face almost glittered in the sunlight. Every inch of her porcelain skin looked beautifully refined. Her scarlet eyes shimmered in the most glamorous way when illuminated. He could, again, feel heat bubbling up in his body, his heart banging violently against his rib cage. He couldn't fathom why he was feeling so queer. After he recovered from the fever, things simply went wrong, not that they had been well beforehand, at least, not after that kiss. It seemed that Flaky had no clue whatsoever that she had once mistaken Sneaky for Flippy and kissed him passionately. The fact that she was oblivious to Sneaky's mind struggles was tormenting the male, completely pushing him over the edge. She had stayed beside him for three consecutive nights just to nurse him while he was sick and this absurd feeling that arouse from his heart was inconceivable. Whenever he woke up because of the heat, he would always find her leaning against the bedside, ready to hand him the medicine. An instant warmness would then drown him. Seeing him suffer, she would go berserk, pacing restlessly in the room while waiting endlessly for his fever to go down. When things didn't work out, she would grow alarmed. When he couldn't sleep due to the headache, she would caress him tenderly, humming a sweet lullaby until he dozed off. Everything happened in a blink of an eye but little did she realize such an event had inevitably changed his life. He could no longer stay unconscious to this affection he held dearly towards her. He, indeed, would try to dismiss every possibility that he might be in love with her. He constantly reminded himself that he might just be getting an unwanted effect from the fever. The sickness must have influenced him in some way, making him go insane with the brain or damaging some of his nerves. That would sound more reasonable. That might explain why his heart thumped manically whenever he interacted with this redhead afterwards.

"S-Sneaky, I-I'm so glad you're feeling better now." Flaky said, handing him a cup of jasmine tea. "It's almost been a w-week since you got ill…I was really worried. I-I th-thought we should get you to the hospital."

"Flakes, like I said, I'm fine." Sneaky smiled. "I don't need any doctors. It'll just get better on its own. It's always been like this."

"B-But still, if you're feeling sick a-again, I can bring y-you to the clinic or s-something."

"That won't be necessary." Sneaky giggled. "Plus, your tea is always a good remedy."

Flaky blushed. She had got quite accustomed to his implicit, twisted way of making a compliment. Still, it never failed to embarrass her.

"Say, d-do you want to g-go out for a w-walk?" Flaky asked timidly. It was rare to see her make the initiative. It had always been him who invited her out.

"Sure, why not?" Sneaky shrugged. "It's getting really stuffy here. I seriously need some fresh air."

"B-But you m-mustn't forget y-your jacket. You might catch another c-cold!" Flaky reminded. The boy chuckled, often amazed by her considerateness.

"Yea, I'll remember that." Sneaky patted on her head playfully. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'm not a kid. You should think more of yourself. You haven't been getting much sleep lately, have you?"

"No, I…" Flaky flushed and trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say that she had had sleepless nights because of worrying about him. Since Sneaky got ill, she hadn't been having as many nightmares about Flippy as before. Rather, her mind shifted to focus on taking care of her sick friend. She knew when Sneaky asked her not to strain herself too much, he was in fact the one getting all stressed out. He had been looking after her since Flippy's departure and keeping an eye on her nonstop. He must have been fatigued. At times, she couldn't deny she was a troublesome girl. Her paranoid streak and clumsiness always irritated those around her, except Flippy and…Sneaky.

She was beyond grateful that Sneaky still decided to stay with her despite the hardship of guarding her. She couldn't have asked for more. Sometimes, she even doubted if she had been spending more time with Sneaky than with Flippy. At least, she and Flippy hadn't been living together before. They met frequently but not every single day. Yet, with Sneaky, their closeness reached as far as to being together every minute of the day starting from when they both got out of their bed in the morning. She must admit she felt pretty secure and jolly with Sneaky's presence. His sense of humor and randomness always made her smile. Flippy was sweet and caring but he totally lacked the unique power to grant her laughter even during one of her saddest times. He could comfort her and make her feel better but the result wasn't the same as how Sneaky did it. Somehow, Sneaky always gave her indefinite hope and motivation to move on. His magic tricks didn't simply stem from his tolerant smiles but from the warmness of his heart. He might look stern and stoic to outsiders. To her though, he was the softest person she had ever encountered. He was even softer than Flippy because he always spoke the truth bluntly. Whether he liked a thing or not and whether he found her cute or problematic, he would definitely, either in a direct or an implicit way, blurted out the truth. His sincerity was what she adored most, probably because she was the kind that never went without a slur in her speech. Her cowardice resulted in her inability to even confess candidly to Flippy before his leave.

The male didn't notice that she was thinking so highly of him. He always bore in mind that the only person that ever crossed her heart was Flippy. Therefore, he would by all means seal away his feelings until the very end of day. He would never confess to her nor would he actually admit that she used to be his childhood crush. He had to, as he kept challenging himself, stay self-controlled. As long as she was happy, he would offer her all the blessings he could afford. He would wish his best friend to return with victory and take her as his bride. Sneaky wasn't a typical believer of fairytales but if that 'happily ever after' was intended for Flaky, he would undoubtedly ship her with Flippy.

"Good day, folks! Allow me to introduce you this latest, greatest invention of mankind!" A raspy voice shouted from outside a grocery store. Flaky and Sneaky turned around in unison, both raising their brows as they spotted Sniffles, the blue-haired scientist selling his products again.

"Does he ever give up on his crazy inventions?" Sneaky muttered.

"Nah…I-I don't think so." Flaky laughed. Along with the crowd, they strode towards the nerd.

"Be warned, people. This bottle of liquid is nothing ordinary. It works magic!" Sniffles exclaimed, tapping a glass bottle he pulled out from a trolley. "Can you read what it says on the label?"

The bluenette held the bottle over to one of the audience who just happened to be Mime. Mime opened his mouth and tried to speak but no words came out. Sniffles rolled his eyes and averted his attention to another listener and his best friend, Nutty.

"What does it say here, Nut?" He asked.

"M-Memory Washer!" Nutty applauded enthusiastically, obviously supporting his best mate.

"Exactly!" Sniffles cleared his throat and announced. "This drink can wipe out the most unpleasant memories of yours! One spoon of it is sufficient to make you forget all the pain and unhappiness! And it's only five hundred dollars. Worth a try, isn't it?!"

As soon as the crowd heard the price, they evacuated as quickly as they had arrived. The only people left seemed to be Flaky and Sneaky, both blinking speechlessly at Sniffles. They were trying hard to hide their laughter but the way Sniffles sold his commodity was simply hilariously hopeless. Most of his inventions were marvelous, of which fact people couldn't deny, but for some reason, they weren't always useful. Sometimes, they even malfunctioned and caused trouble in return. Unless necessary, no one would ever spend that much money to purchase his goods.

"Well, want one, Sneaky? It would be nice to forget about the wars." Sniffles said, handing the bottle to the young soldier. Sneaky snickered and turned to Flaky. "Nah, this lady needs it more than I do."

"W-What?" Flaky widened her eyes and glanced at Sneaky.

"You do have quite a number of unpleasant memories, don't you?" Sneaky teased.

"No!" Flaky flinched and hid behind his back. "I d-don't need it…" There was no way she was going to take a sip of that eccentric so-called magic drink. She might be another victim of Sniffles' experiments for all she knew.

"Well, if I ever see you shed more than ten drops of tears again, I might buy it for you, Flakes." Sneaky chuckled. The girl made a grimace and dragged him away in haste.

"Darn, people just aren't buying my things!" Sniffles snarled, tossing the bottle away.

"I am." Nutty waved his hands in the air earnestly. He seemed to be the sole customer and the ultimate fan of Sniffles' inventions.

"Nutty, what do you need this drink for? You're always happy!"

"That's not true!" Nutty snorted. "I get sad when someone eats all my candy!"

The bluenette sighed, not knowing how to respond to his hysterical sugar-addicted friend.

* * *

"That drink is cool, isn't it?" Sneaky said as they sauntered along the riverside.

"I-It's creepy." Flaky mumbled. "W-What if t-there are side-effects?"

"You do worry a lot, don't you?" Sneaky chortled, ruffling her hair. "If it makes all your worst memories disappear, it means you wouldn't have to worry anymore, right?"

"B-But s-still…" Flaky stuttered, twiddling her fingers nervously.

"Just kidding, Flakes." Sneaky sneered. "You don't need that thing when you have Flip and me with you."

The girl laughed. Once again, she was uncontrollably captured by Sneaky's words. Somehow, his speech owned his charisma. He was just…amazing at coaxing someone and at easing her angst.

"You mean a lot to me, you know that?" Suddenly, the boy said.

Flaky froze and gaped at Sneaky in bewilderment.

"When Flippy and I went to the army, you were practically the only thing that kept us fighting. You're the most precious friend to us and we would want to be able to see you again. Even just for one last time."

The boy halted and looked at the river. The sight stirred up some fragments of his memories and he knew Flaky was seeing pretty much the same scene. They went boating together once when they were teens and Flaky actually fell into the water. How it happened no one knew. Allegedly, she stumbled over the edge of the yacht and off she went into the river. Sneaky still remembered how he and Flippy basically freaked out when they saw her flail her arms helplessly and shriek in panic. Eventually, both boys had to dive into the water to rescue her. The three of them ended up soaking wet and catching a cold together.

"What were you thinking at that time, Flakes?" Sneaky asked.

"I-I…er…I thought I was going to d-drown but you saved me…both of you…" Flaky flushed in embarrassment.

"Yea, that's right. We couldn't just watch you die in front of our eyes, haha." Sneaky grinned.

"Y-You're al-always being so n-nice to me, S-Sneaky…Why?"

She had been thinking of that question in a while. Sneaky was clearly doing far more than just a simple favor requested by Flippy. The way he treated her with so much care and cautiousness was unimaginably touching. It melted her heart and confused her, to an extent that she suspected if she was feeling anything more than friendship for him. She knew it was wrong though, to bear any affection towards someone other than Flippy. Still, the fact that Sneaky was also her childhood best friend remained. There was always such probability that she had been loving both of them but her feelings for Flippy were only amplified after Sneaky moved to the other side of the town. Since then, they hadn't met up very often and for most of the time, she spent her days with Flippy. That would sound logical as to explain why she was suddenly feeling so compassionate with Sneaky again in Flippy's absence.

"Why…you ask me." Sneaky mused, narrowing his eyes as he pondered over Flaky's question. Why was he being so very nice to Faky? Wasn't the answer way too obvious?

"Because you and Flip will always be my best friends." Sneaky replied.

For some reason, Flaky wasn't satisfied with his answer. She thought he might have said something else. Something a bit more…loving for instance. But she couldn't have demanded anything from him that apparently crossed the line between two best friends. If he said so, they might as well maintain the current relationship. After all, her relationship with Flippy was just as pathetic. If it wasn't so platonic, she wouldn't have craved so much for him to make her his official girlfriend. When he dated Giggles a few years back, she actually cried for days over that matter. She wondered if Flippy did love her in a way a lover did. Or did he simply enjoy being intimate with her?

With Sneaky, things might be different. He was outspoken. 'Yes' or 'No', he would say it. He would make things explicit, like if he wanted to give her a place in his heart, he would never conceal the truth that he loved her. Or so she reckoned.

"S-Same h-here." Flaky said, trying her best to hide her disappointment. She knew she couldn't expect more from Sneaky. It would be inappropriate. It was like one of those drama shows where a girl was double-crossing her lover, falling for two best friends at the same time. Seriously, she had to get a hold of herself at once.

"Well, what's a best friend for?" Sneaky smirked. "You can always count on me. If you do need a shoulder to cry on, always call my name and I'll be there for you. Or perhaps I'll get you one of Sniffles' drinks to clear your awful thoughts and nightmares."

"Ugh, I-I don't need Sniffles' d-drink." Flaky said, wrapping her hands around his arm. "I'll just need my bestie. That is."

The boy grinned. He wasn't sure if he should have cried out loud. His heart was actually shattering when he forced that natural smile on his face. He knew he didn't only want her as his best friend. He knew it. But he…couldn't say it. It was funny because he was always the straightforward one. Yet, when it came to love, he simply got lost in words.

Maybe, it was best this way though. He would always watch her from aside, lend her his shoulder when she cried and give her a hand when she needed help. As long as she was happy, he would be.

* * *

Flaky turned the knob and opened the door. The two stepped into the house. As she switched on the lights, she gasped. Gingerly, she picked up the letter on the floor. Sneaky, unaware of her reading the mail, proceeded to unpack some grocery bags in the kitchen. A heart-breaking cry soon pierced his ears. He bolted out of the kitchen abruptly, shocked to find the redhead wailing on the ground. At the exact same time, the doorbell rang. The door creaked open only to reveal two faces he would hate to meet most in his entire life.


	6. Trauma

Sneaky stared in terror at the two uniformed men before him. Flaky's heartbreaking whimpers echoed behind him. When the two soldiers gave them a 'salute' sign, the greenette could no longer control his outburst. Gripping one of the men's collars, he shook him violently, almost shoving him to the ground. The other soldier had to haul Sneaky backwards to keep him still.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Before either of the two sergeants could speak, Sneaky howled, tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Sir, please calm down." One man urged, holding Sneaky's arms firmly. When the boy couldn't flail his arms, he decided to kick the soldiers.

"No, this is not happening!" Sneaky snapped. "You've gone to the wrong house! Damn it! Tell me this is a joke!"

"We are terribly sorry to inform you that…" One man sighed. "Your comrade, Mr. Fillip Bear has unfortunately-"

"SHUT UP!" Not allowing the elder soldier to finish his utterance, Sneaky punched him in the face. "Screw you! I said, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG HOUSE!"

The fight went on, with Sneaky refusing to believe the truth. He struggled and attempted to beat the two sergeants whom he reckoned must be playing some cruel pranks on him. Yet, the fact lay clear. No one could be lying about their comrade's death. Those melancholy, rueful, flustered expressions were something that could hardly be feigned in any situation. When the two informers left with an apologetic bow, Sneaky collapsed to the ground. He wondered if this was yet another nightmare he was having or perhaps it was one of those terrible dreams of Flaky that he had accidentally stepped into during their sleep. Slowly and almost bitterly, he turned around to glance at the sniveling girl. Her petrified, colorless face was nearly as shocking as the horrendous news. Her eyes were bloodshot, apparently dried from excessive crying. Her orbs gleamed hollowly, reflecting the boy's own pallid face. He tried to reach out for her but he found no strength to do so. He, himself, felt his inner world gradually being subsumed by unconsciousness. How he wished he was dreaming… Those tears simply wouldn't stop flowing out of his emerald eyes. He swallowed his sobs and cuddled the girl before him. She shuddered against his touch. Her head rested limply against his chest. Her tears drenched his shirt. But on top of all, her whines broke his heart. Before he realized it, the redhead had long passed out in his arms.

Flaky regained her consciousness in a room of complete whiteness, a place that resembled so much of a heaven. _If only it really was a heaven…_ Her throat was sore and her cheeks were swollen. Her eyes…they stung…Her chest hurt. She couldn't speak because no matter how hard she tried to call out his name, only whimpers escaped her mouth. She tilted her head weakly, finally noticing the green-haired male beside her. For once, she thought it was Flippy. She was so elated that she clasped his hair. But when he lifted up his head from his arms, she realized that it wasn't him. Reality struck her again. She shivered and cried. Sneaky, holding back his own tears, cradled the girl tenderly, hoping to find reassurance for both of them.

"S-Sneaky…" Flaky stuttered, trembling in his embrace. "Is F-Flippy dead?"

The boy didn't answer, not until several minutes had passed. If there was one thing he absolutely loathed, it was to utter the word 'yes' in response to her question. He couldn't bring himself to say it. He would break down again if he did. And this girl needed him. If even he, himself, failed to hold on, then no one would be there to comfort her. In the end, he decided not to speak. Instead, he merely nodded. He heard her weep louder, her body quivering badly. It went on for hours, with him trying to reassure her while crying his eyes out at the same time, with her hugging him tightly as though he, too, would suddenly disappear from her life like Flippy had and with them declining the fact that their best friend had perished permanently in the war.

When Flaky was finally put back to sleep, Sneaky walked out of the room. He raised his fist and punched the wall so hard that his hand bled.

"Bastard…" He cursed. "YOU PROMISED! You said you would definitely come back! Why…..How could you break your oath! What a bastard! Damn you!"

The boy got down on his knees and lamented. "You're such a liar! A LIAR! What do you expect me to do now? How do you expect her to live on? Traitor! You're a traitor! You couldn't just leave us like that! COME BACK, FLIP! I COMMAND YOU! COME BACK AT ONCE…."

Nonetheless, despite his endless pleas, there was only silence around him. No one showed up in the hallway. No one heeded his prayers. There were only him in the corridor and her inside the ward. No one else. Their friend was gone. Gone forever. He had broken his promise. He had not been able to return. He had left Flaky behind with Sneaky.

Sneaky trudged back into the ward and sat down beside the bed. His eyes roamed over the redhead's pasty face. His heart broke again to see her suffer. Adversity simply wouldn't leave her alone, would it? The girl had been crying for far too long, from the day she met Flippy till the day he left her. No one could count how many times she had shed tears for that heartless man who had decided to die and abandon this world! She was, after all, only asking for something ever so simplistic. She wanted him to return with glory and to confess to her. Was it a task ever so difficult to accomplish? Why would Flippy leave without even saying a 'last goodbye' and telling her that he had always loved her and only her? Sneaky shut his eyes and let the tears rinse his face again. He wished he could grasp the sense of what was happening. _The trauma. The sorrow. The despair._ It was all too unendurable. He wished he could find Flaky the love she had been yearning for. He wished he could kiss away all her tears and pretend with her as if nothing bad had ever occurred. They could still be waiting patiently for Flippy's return even though it would never happen. Gently, he bent over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. She was…so beautiful. _Her face. Her heart. Her body._ Everything about her was just beautiful. An angelic existence like her didn't deserve such anguish. She deserved a much better fate. A much better promising love.

* * *

_Dear Sneaky,_

_I am writing this in case I am unfortunately killed during my mission. I would want you to receive this letter and if by any chance I am proven dead permanently, this will then probably become my last and sole will. Forgive me, my friend, for leaving this world despite my vow to survive and return with victory. I would like you to know that I have never yet spared a second of my life not thinking about you and Flaky. You two would always stay in my heart regardless of what happens. I am beyond grateful for everything you have done for me, especially this huge favor of taking care of Flaky in my place. I love her dearly as any brother would feel towards his sister. I have never acknowledged her feelings and confessed to her, which undoubtedly is the greatest regret in my life. I have always seen the way you look at her and I know you feel just the same way about her as I do. This is, in particular, also the reason why I have asked you to guard her. I want you, in my absence, to take my role and cherish her, love and care for her. If I am never coming back again, please, my dearest friend, promise me to stay beside this wonderful girl forever. I have nothing else to ask for but the most sincere blessings for Flaky. I, as much as you do, just want her to be happy. I have never taken the real responsibility of a lover and I can never repent my sins of having hurt her so many times. Here, as I deem, will be my last chance of apology. Please, live your life to the fullest and love Flaky for me. I can, however, never be thankful enough for your deeds. If I ever have to repay you, please let me do so in my next life. I must say this once again though- You two are the best things that have ever happened to me in my entire life. _

_Love,  
Flippy_

Sneaky gawked at the paper, his hands shaking. His mouth gaped open but no words came out. There was only a groan. A painful groan. In frustration, he crumpled the paper and tossed it to the ground. He needed no such thing as promises. He had made more than enough promises to Flippy. For the sake of his best friend, he had kept every single one of them. Never had he broken one oath. Yet, those promises Flippy had made were never accomplished. They were all mere lies. He had lied to Sneaky. He had vowed to return but never had he done so. Everything was just a delusion. _The thought of Flippy coming back with glory. The thought of Flippy reconciling with Flaky. The thought of seeing his two best friends live happily ever after._ Nothing was ever going to come true now. There were only him…and Flaky, a heart-broken girl whose hope had been let down over and over again.

Flaky twitched. Slowly, she opened her eyes and ogled Sneaky. The greenette was covering his face with both hands, apparently choking in tears.

"S-Sneaky…" Flaky spoke, her weak voice quavering.

The male looked up instantly and swallowed his tears. He forced a faint smile on his face and placed his palm on Flaky's hand. The girl smiled back, her face paler than ever. She had been in unconscious state for nearly a week since the news of Flippy's death traumatized her. All this time, he had never left the ward for more than an hour. He slept and stayed beside her, hoping that she could somehow get over the depression. Nevertheless, it was almost impossible. The wound in her heart could never heal of which he was pretty sure. Her love would keep on bleeding until it died one day. He wished he could do something though. He wished he could hold her and love her, if only she would allow him to.

"S-Sneaky…please don't leave me." Flaky wailed. "Don't leave me a-alone…"

On hearing her tragic cries, the boy lost control and burst into tears again. He took the girl into his arms and hugged her as tightly as he could.

"No, Flakes, I won't leave you alone. I will never leave you alone…" He said, sniffling.

"G-Good…" Flaky babbled. "B-Because I've had a n-nightmare…After F-Flippy left me…you, too, w-went away from me…I was alone in this world…I was scared…Oh Sneaky, I'm r-really s-scared…I don't want to be alone…I don't want to lose you all…"

"You aren't losing me." The boy said sternly with his remaining breath. "I'll stay with you for as long as I can. I will never leave you like Flippy did. Don't worry, Flakes…"

"T-The l-letter…F-Flippy gave me…" Flaky stammered. "H-He t-told me to be b-brave…So, I-I'll try t-to be brave…I…will d-do my best t-to fulfill his last wishes…"

"Yes, yes, you will. And I'll be here with you. If you have to be brave, I'll be your strength. So you never have to fear. Never." Sneaky murmured.

The girl smiled, wrapping her hands around Sneaky. His presence was too real to be a dream. She was glad he was there. At least, she still had someone to cling to. She would live on, so she reckoned, as long as his strength supported her.

"I love you, Flakes, as much as Flippy does." Sneaky confessed. "I'll stay with you in his place. Let me keep you forever."

Flaky widened her eyes, astounded at first but touched in the end. He might be saying it because of what Flippy had made him promise or simply because he sympathized with her. However, as she recoiled backwards and stared into his emerald eyes which were filled with glittering tears, she was convinced that his confession was beyond subtlety. He was expecting for an answer. _A serious, sweet answer_.

She couldn't think of any reason to reject his love. After all he had done for her; she couldn't just dismiss his selfless devotion and compassion. It had only made his feelings for her even more evidenced. He had loved her right from the start. And now he was the only one left in this world that could treasure and caress her. She needed him. She yearned for him. She would like to be with him forever more.

"Y-Yes, Sneaky…" Eventually, Flaky blurted out. "I'd like you to love me…forever."


	7. Lust

"EEK! S-Sneaky!" The redhead squealed at the top of her lungs. With one clumsy leap, she climbed onto the bed. Her booming shriek startled the male in the kitchen, causing him to drop the utensils and to dash right upstairs.

"H-Help!" Flaky yelled and started hyperventilating. The boy barged into the room fretfully, his heart almost hopping out.

"What's wrong?" Sneaky asked, scanning around the seemingly fine bedroom. Flaky was crouching on the bed, sobbing.

"T-There…" She lifted up one of her shaky hands and pointed to one particular black creature cowering in one corner. Sneaky had a hard time to spot that tiny spider. He blinked at the poor insect, dumbfounded.

"Flakes, it's just a-"

"A SPIDER!" Flaky cried again, hugging her knees in tears. "It's staring at me! It's going to kill me!"

"Flaky, a spider can't possibly kill you." The boy said. He grabbed a piece of paper and bent down. Immediately, the spider crawled onto the sheet.

"Ah!" Flaky screeched, clenching her eyes. "Get it out of here, please! D-Don't toss it at me! I BEG YOU!"

"Okay, okay!" Sneaky chuckled. He slid open the balcony door and let the spider land on the railing.

"Throw it out, please!" Flaky pleaded.

"Flakes, it's not coming back. You can't expect me to smash that poor creature, do you?"

"I DO!"

"Oh, Flakes, that's way too mean. It ain't doing anything to you." Sneaky shut the door and strolled back to the bedside. The girl was still trembling in fright. She cringed and refused to get off the bed.

"Come here, Flakes." Sneaky spread out his arms and invited Flaky. The girl shook her head timidly, pressing her lips together.

"Oh come on, it's gone. I don't bite." Sneaky giggled.

Flaky, still unconvinced that she was safe, eyed the surroundings cautiously. Her eyes roamed over the ground and explored each corner of the room, ensuring that no other little pests were lurking about. Reluctantly, she leaned forwards and met Sneaky's hands.

"Want me to get you downstairs?"

"YES! PLEASE!" Flaky yelped, clinging close to Sneaky.

The boy smirked and picked her up in a bridal style. Somehow, he liked it when she called him for help. When she got scared and he was able to reassure her, it always make his existence way more significant. Flaky nestled her head against Sneaky's chest, her hands wrapped tightly around the male's neck. He was shocked by how light Flaky's petite body weighed in his arms. He knew she hadn't had much appetite since Flippy's death. Every now and then, she was constantly struggling to overcome the trauma. Yet, if she kept on losing weight at this rate, she would definitely suffer from malnutrition.

"Flaky, you really ought to gain some pounds."

"Huh?"

"You're…growing too thin." Sneaky commented, carefully putting down the delicate girl onto a chair.

"N-No…" Flaky said. "I-I don't f-feel like eating."

"How about this." Sneaky knelt down before her and grinned. "Let me cook you something special. I'm preparing our lunch anyway. Tell me what you want to eat and I'll get them."

"No…" The girl declined again. "I'm not h-hungry…"

"Please, Flakes, I never ask you for anything. Just this once, eat something." The boy sighed.

As Flaky stared at Sneaky's distressed expression, an instantaneous sense of guilt flooded her heart. She had long lost count of how many times she disappointed him. She understood his good intentions but she was never able to respond to them properly. What she did was always giving him endless stress and worries. He was absolutely right though. He had never demanded anything harsh from her. All that he wanted was for her to stay happy and healthy. If she couldn't even achieve such a minor task for him, she had no right whatsoever to deserve his vast love.

"O-Okay…" Flaky nodded finally. She figured this was the best option. At least, seeing that smile reappear on Sneaky's face cheered her a bit. "B-But…c-can we have a picnic instead? I-I want to go to the hills…the one where we watched the sunset for the first time…"

"You want to go there again?" Sneaky raised his brows, surprised.

"Yup." Flaky snickered. "C-Can we go there?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Sneaky said. "As long as you desire."

He drove her to the hills again. He could still remember how they had visited this place a few months back. He had brought her here to comfort her and to show how beautiful the sunset was. He had wanted to distract her from anxiety. But now…Flippy had gone for longer than they could bear. There were only broken memories and rotten hope.

The car pulled over at the same site. Sneaky led Flaky out of the vehicle and together, they ambled to the summit. Flaky kept her promise of finishing at least half plate of the pasta and a bowl of soup. Pleased, Sneaky smiled and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.

"S-Sneaky…T-Thank you." The girl said, laying down leisurely on his lap.

"Why?"

Flaky shut her eyes and paused for a moment. She let her senses flow to her skin, enjoying every touch from the gentle breeze. "B-Because you a-always l-listen to me…even if I'm requesting s-something so unreasonable, you still never hesitate to say 'yes'…You're always d-doing so many things f-for me."

"I told you…I'll do whatever you say." Sneaky cooed, running his fingers through her scarlet hair. "So long as it keeps you happy."

"Is it because of what you've promised Flippy?" Flaky turned around, her eyes meeting his. "He a-asked you to take c-care of me…didn't he? Is t-that the r-reason?"

Sneaky gasped. He was caught in both confusion and awe. He wondered if he was merely doing this for Flippy's last will. Was he taking care of her for the dead man's sake?

No…surely not. He had never questioned himself why he had been staying beside Flaky and serving her unconditionally. It wasn't simply an oath he had been striving to keep until his own death. It was his love he held for her. A love ever so deep and genuine.

The boy didn't answer her question. Instead, he bent down quietly and kissed her. Flaky didn't see it coming but she gave in to him anyway. She knew it was wrong to be kissing Sneaky while thinking of Flippy. Even if Flippy was practically dead, she still had to retain her own virtue. She shouldn't be falling for someone else so quickly. Nonetheless, this unique sensation Sneaky granted her was dragging her into a bottomless pit of love. If she opened her heart for him now, she might regret it later. She couldn't care less though. After he had sacrificed so much for her, she was almost convinced that her affection towards him was just as strong as his.

Sneaky broke the kiss and blushed. Suddenly realizing his reckless behaviour, he apologised immediately. "I-I'm sorry, Flaky…"

The girl ogled him in trance. Soon, she felt her cheeks turning aflame. With a faint smile, she purred. "It's okay…D-Did you m-mean what you said back in the h-hospital? D-Do you love me, Sneaky?"

The male flushed and looked away. It was hard to hide his embarrassment. He didn't expect her to ask him so boldly. He felt horrible to be in love with her despite it being one of Flippy's last wishes. He felt like betraying his honor by losing control regularly at this girl he was supposed to protect instead of having fantasies about. When she cuddled him sheepishly, he was once again hit by this awful thirst of possessing her and having her to his own forever. He tried his best to fight back his burning desires but to no avail. He could no longer resist her temptation.

"Yes, I do." He admitted. "I really love you."

Things basically got worse when they returned to the house. Neither of them was able to suppress their passion. When he placed Flaky onto the bed, she hauled him down with her. He kissed her again, his tongue digging into her mouth. The girl muffled a moan as she tightened her grip around Sneaky. She kissed him back and nibbled his lips with hunger. The boy proceeded to trace down her neck and shoulder, licking every one of her sensitive spots and filling her with indefinite pleasure. By then, they could barely hold back themselves. Without a second thought, he stripped off her clothes while his lips kept on exploring each corner of her perfect, creamy skin. Completely drifting off to the indulgence, Flaky hugged him tightly and groaned. His fingers skimmed across her top, twiddling her body warily. Her beauty and allurement was beyond any words could describe. He had never dreamed of being able to caress her nude body. Most of all, he had never thought she would yearn so much for him. She seized his hands and wrapped them around her waist. Emitting from her voluptuous body was an attraction ever so irresistible and ravishing. Growing impatient, he undid his clothes and chucked them off. Her eyes were glistening with lust and urge. His mind was completely clouded by the sole thought of devouring her and letting all the sentiments he had been oppressing for a long time burst at once. He groped her thighs and rammed into her fervently. There was a soft yelp of pain at first when he penetrated the deepest part of her area. But soon all that escaped from her mouth were small whimpers as he began to fondle each part of her body tenderly. Lost in the unimaginable pleasure and her own fetish, she blurted out a beautiful whine when he thrust in and out of her uncontrollably. He bent over and kissed away her tears, giving her the greatest reassurance he could afford before he, too, got caught in his own feverishness. Once they got started, they couldn't cease. The more they tried to battle with their conscience, the farther they got swept away in their own realm of hankering. In the end, all the echoed in his ears were her shameless whispers. Their unabashed groans filled the room. As he slammed his hips repeatedly against hers, all that occurred to him was this crushed reality. _So much for his promise. So much for his honor._ He shook away the remorse of making out with a girl whose lover had barely passed away for two weeks. In all his life, he had never thought he could deflower the girl who had never belonged to him. From the moment she had mistakenly kissed him, he knew his heart was automatically captured by this young lady. He hated to admit it but for a long time he had been pondering over the idea of betraying his own best friend. He was sure what Flippy meant by 'love' was for him to care for her as a brother. It just wasn't appropriate for him to be cradling her body full of sexual contentment. He had long crossed the line he was supposed to draw of their intimacy. And depressingly, neither was Flaky able to retain that last sense of virtue.

His confusion grew when she looked at him with sheer expectation. When he continuously ground himself into her, what got sparked was something more than affection. When she shot him one of her defenseless expressions, what caught him was something more than guilt and sympathy. _Her love. His love._ Their love was now mixed with invincible lust. They wanted more and they would most obviously hunt for more.

If there was one thing he was certainly glad about, it was the fact that she screamed his name in their climax. At least, this time, she wasn't mistaking him for Flippy. She was well aware that the man she was having sex with was Sneaky and she had permitted him to tear off her innocence despite not being her original lover. He would be fine with being a substitute. He was already beyond grateful she had let him touch her this way. As long as she enjoyed it as much as he did, it would be his bliss. This privilege didn't come at all easy, so he took very precious moment for granted. He had treasured every second of his first time with her, watching carefully how her angst turned into pleasure, listening carefully to her pants and sobs and thinking how far this unpardonable sin would drive them. If there was to be one to take the blame, he would undoubtedly go for it in spite of her taking the initiative as well. He would shield her no matter what.

Eventually, when both of them collapsed next to each other with ragged breaths, they could barely utter a word clearly. She glanced into his eyes. Those green orbs were always so deep and impenetrable. Yet, they flickered with love as he gazed back at her. He stroked her hair and planted a smooth kiss on her forehead. She snuggled up in his arms, resting her head peacefully on his shoulder. His embrace was always so warm and strong. There was nothing that made her feel more secure than being in his arms. The instant he muttered _"I love you"_ to her, she knew there was no way he would be letting go. Similarly, she didn't plan to do the same either.

Both exhausted and satisfied, she shut her eyes slowly. In her hazy consciousness, she heard him smirk when she replied. _"I love you, too."_


	8. Drama

"Flaky~ I'm coming now~" The voice called out poetically.

The redhead clung closer to the far end of the closet and chortled quietly. She forgot whose idea it was to play hide-and-seek. One moment ago they were sitting across each other having a grand meal and the next second they were on a complete childish mode. The house wasn't that big to begin with but she still went for the game. She figured she simply enjoyed the feeling of being found by him. It might take a while though. She was a skillful hider. Yet, he was Sneaky, the sneakiest guy she had ever encountered. Wherever she was, he was able to slink behind her without a warning.

Somehow, the shuffling footsteps that went past the bedroom stirred up a fragment of her memories. As she waited patiently for him to discover her, Flaky's mind shifted off into one of her sweet reminisces.

_She was around ten or so. The three of them were nothing more than playfree kids. As the two boys counted to fifty, Flaky hurriedly wandered about in the woods, seeking for a perfect spot to hide. Once she spotted the abandoned cabin in the middle of the forest, she raced towards it and found herself a comfortable corner inside the hoary house. Soon, Flippy and Sneaky finished counting. They exchanged a cunning grimace and split their paths, each going in a special direction to look for the girl. The fact that Flaky was so tiny made the game even more challenging. The boys spent almost half an hour finding nothing, not even a shadow caught. Flippy started yelling her name, apparently giving up the grueling search. Sneaky, though, was still rather relentless. He lurked behind the bushes, crawled over the hedges and even climbed the trees. Eventually, his sight zoomed in to this particular rotten cabin veiled by the groves. With a smirk, he bounced onto the balcony and intruded the place. His trespass was heard by the girl. Flaky, agitated, bumped onto a wooden stool by accident, letting out a loud creaking noise. The boy turned around, growing more convinced of her presence. Slowly, he marched towards the source of noise. Flaky jolted and shrank deeper into the corner. However, it didn't stop him from finding her. _

_"Gotcha." Sneaky giggled._

_Flaky widened her eyes, bemused. She had thought it would be Flippy who found her. When Sneaky suddenly appeared in front of her, the surprise thrilled her. She laughed and stood up._

_"You're too s-sloooow." _

_"Hey, at least I found you. I think Flip is still lost in the woods." Sneaky chuckled._

_The two hopped out of the cabin and swiftly gathered with the remaining friend. On exactly the same day, the three naïve kids made a promise together. They thought life was like the game of hide-and-seek. Nothing could possibly keep them apart. As they grew up, even if they were separated by land and sea, they would still find each other someday. And they would always see and feel the same._

Time rolled on and their innocent promise remained. No matter what came between them, they were still bonded together. And yet, they had never expected that one thing could have disrupted their promise so easily. Death, as it seemed, had no mercy at all. It snatched Flippy away from them soundlessly.

The closet's door swung open. Blinded by the abrupt light, Flaky flinched.

"Gotcha." Sneaky tittered.

Flaky grinned and climbed out of the closet, falling into his arms. "T-Too f-fast, Sneaky!"

"Meh, I've got years of practice, you know." The boy laughed. "You're always hiding and creeping somewhere. Have you any idea how hard it is for me to look for a little pet like you?"

"Hmmm." Flaky blushed and couldn't refrain from laughing. It was true that she always hid when something went wrong. It was a result of her anxiety disorder. Nonetheless, a person could always find her and fill her with the greatest light in the darkness.

It was Sneaky.

"H-Hey…Sneaky, d-do you remember that day when we p-played in the forest as kids?" Flaky asked, sitting on his lap as they settled down on the couch.

"Oh yea, we played hide-and-seek at that time, didn't we?"

"Y-Yes." Flaky nodded. "We were s-so free then. We always hung out to-together."

"Yup. And do you remember the promise?"

"You m-mean the one we made about never separating from each other?"

"Yea and your promise." Sneaky sneered.

"M-My promise?" The redhead scratched her head in confusion. "W-What do you m-mean?"

"Hey, you couldn't have forgotten about it. You made a promise to us too." Sneaky sniggered.

"W-What did I say?" Flaky blinked eagerly at the boy, her face leaning so close to kissing him.

"Ugh, you don't have a single memory of it, do you?" Sneaky pouted. "How disappointing."

"Oh! Tell me!" Flaky insisted, tugging his shirts stubbornly.

"You said it to both Flip and me."

"What was it?"

"Um…" Sneaky mused. "You said…"

"Yes?"

"You said you were going to marry both of us."

For a long while, Flaky stared at Sneaky in silence, thinking it had to be one of his jokes. When he glanced back at her seriously, she seemed to revive that forgotten thread of memory. It seemed that she did make a vow back in the woods. She did innocently claim that she would marry both of them.

"Flaky, did you know that you can't marry two boys at the same time?" Sneaky taunted.

"Er…" Irritated, the redhead pinched him, causing him to grunt in pain. "I…I was a kid, okay?"

"Fine, fine. We were all kids, all right. So it was intended to be a joke?"

"No! I-I…" Flaky flushed, looking away. It was too embarrassing for her to admit that she had wanted to possess two boys at once. It was simply awkward. How could she have been so greedy?

"And if Flippy was still here…whom would you choose?" Sneaky asked.

Flaky froze, completely caught by his words. Why…had she never thought of it? If they were both present, who would she have picked in the end? Which one would she have chosen to spend the rest of her life with?

It was no accident that she had fallen for both of them. It was no accident either that she had lost Flippy in her life. On top of all, it was absolutely no accident that she had bedded Sneaky. They had done it so passionately that neither of them could ever deny their intense feelings.

"I…I-I guess…"

She guessed the way she had let Sneaky deflower her was the best evidence that she would choose him out of the duo.

Before she could complete her speech, the phone rang, cutting off their conversation promptly. They both turned around reflexively, startled by the sudden chiming noise.

"I'll go get it." Sneaky offered and put Flaky down on the couch. He walked towards the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

The redhead sat silently. Her heart was pounding fast. She had been so near to declaring her love to Sneaky but then out of the blue, her utterance was disturbed by the call. She watched Sneaky as he conversed with whoever it was over the line. She waited and waited. Until she saw the drastic changes of Sneaky's expressions, she finally realized something was wrong. She got up and rushed towards the boy, pulling her brows together. She studied carefully Sneaky's expression as it sank from joy to grief and transformed from confusion to shock. By the time he put down the phone, he was barely capable of speaking. His hands shook and his eyes brimmed with tears. All that was left on his face was a look so astonished

"W-What's happened?" Flaky asked nervously, no longer suppressing her fear.

"We…" Sneaky stammered, breathing fast. "We have to…g-go to the station…right now!"

"Huh?"

After snatching his jacket and keys, Sneaky dragged Flaky out of the house. He didn't even allow time for the redhead to adjust to his abrupt behaviour or to raise any questions. Before Flaky realized it, she was already inside Sneaky's car. They were heading fast towards the train station. She could hear Sneaky's restless sniffles as his hands trembled around the wheel.

"S-Sneaky…what's going on?" Flaky asked.

"It's Flip." Sneaky muttered, his eyes blinking blankly at the road.

"What?" The girl exclaimed, baffled.

"It's Flippy who just called…"

"What?" Flaky raised her voice, practically squealing. "It can't be! He…He…"

The car suddenly braked to a stop. Flaky gawked at Sneaky in bewilderment. His expression was ever so grim and somber. Slowly, the male turned to face the redhead, his eyes watering at once.

"Yes…he's alive."

Flaky gaped at Sneaky as if he was insane. She frowned, trying hard to comprehend and to process his speech. The boy in front of her was puffing, his eyes gleaming with the very same shock. Flaky felt her eyes twitch a little. She opened her mouth but shut it again, completely lost in words. Her mind was blowing. It was screaming inside her. Her heart…it was squeezing in unendurable pain. When her mind was nearly on the verge of explosion, she found it difficult to hold her breath. It was suffocating. The news was suffocating her.

As for the boy, he wasn't certain if this was just another dream. When Flippy's voice came from the other line, he thought it was a joke. Someone had to be pulling a heartless, brutal prank on them. But that voice was crystal clear. It really belonged to none other than his own best friend. And there was both excitement and sorrow embedded in that exhausted tone. As soon as he hung up, the only thing Sneaky knew was to rush to the station without a single second spared.

"We need to get out…right now." Sneaky hopped out of the vehicle and grabbed Flaky's hand.

They trotted to the platform, their hearts running as fast as their legs. When that familiar figure came into sight, they both gulped. It was beyond doubt Flippy whom they saw. The army boy turned around with a heavy bag heaved onto his back. His presence was so real and concrete that no one would question his existence. And no, certainly no, he wasn't dead. He had survived. He was standing right on the platform, waving at his two best friends with a victorious smile. He had a bandaged arm but nothing more. No severe or fatal injuries. He stood clean and new, fresh and young. This was the very same man the two were acquainted with. He had returned with glory!

"F-Flippy?!" Flaky squeaked, both in trauma and ecstasy.

If they weren't standing so close to Flippy, they wouldn't even believe it was reality.

Sneaky gazed at his best mate. He couldn't describe the happiness and blissful surprise that flooded his heart. He continued goggling at Flippy until tears cascaded down his eyes. By then, the returned soldier was far too elated to hold back his joy. He dashed forwards and dropped his bag, hugging his two companions gleefully.

"F-Flippy…I…I thought…" Flaky cried, hardly believing the person that stood in front of her was not another illusion.

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm so very sorry! They got it wrong. They got it all wrong! Someone in the army was also called Filip Bear." Flippy said, embracing his two friends tightly. "And darn, they mistook me for him!"

And then, there they stood like a frozen statue, caught in endless delight. The three lost friends huddled together until they were drained of tears, until they were both tired of cuddling each other and were no longer choking on their words.

"I…I…I don't know what to say…" Sneaky sobbed. "We all thought…you were dead, but you came back! Oh Flip, we missed you. We missed you so much!"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" Flippy sniveled. "I'm back now and I promise I'll never leave you two again. Never!"

The soldier couldn't find the word to replace his thoughts. After a year of ongoing battles, he struggled to make it out alive. From the ruins, he rose and fell. He struck and got hurt. No one could fathom how much he had gone through. He had been on the brink of death several times. But every time he wiggled in a puddle of filthy blood, he held on to the faith that he would survive. The promise he kept he could not forget. He wouldn't dare forget. A traitor he had been, for leaving his two beloved friends for so long without acknowledge them his safety. At least, for the sake of Flaky and Sneaky, he had come back harmed yet alive. He wouldn't ask for more than to be with his two best friends again.

As the train took off the platform with a dinging bell, Flippy embraced his two friends ever so tightly.


	9. Dilemma

Sneaky stared calmly at the girl in bed. She clung to one side weakly, her eyes shut in peace. Her snore was soft and her breath was smooth. When he made sure she was sound asleep, the boy left the room.

He plodded downstairs and met his friend.

"How's she?" Flippy smiled brightly and asked.

"Asleep now." Sneaky replied, sitting down beside the other greenette.

"It must have been too much shock for her." Flippy sighed.

"Dude, have you any idea how long we have waited?" Sneaky said, irritated. "You barely called twice after you left! And then…and then…there came this news that you died! She almost committed suicide! You have had her waiting for so damn long. You know that, right? She never stopped worrying in the day and crying in the night. It's…It's all for you to come home."

Flippy gasped with an expression twisted in pure bitterness. At once, he felt tears drenching his eyes again. It wasn't the first time he had made Flaky worry so much that she nearly took her own life. He had always realized his place in her heart but he never did know how to cherish her properly. Everything he did only kept bringing more sorrow into her already wrecked life. She had dedicated far too much into loving him and all he had done in return was to make her cry.

"She missed you…" Sneaky muttered with the very same soreness, wagging his fingers painfully. "She missed you so much that she could hardly sleep. When she thought you had died, she could hardly eat either. We all thought there was hope. There was a miracle. But it all took too long. Too long for you to come back!"

"I know…" Flippy sighed, blinking solidly at the ground. "I…I'm sorry…"

The two males stayed in silence for a while, both still unprepared for further speech. Flippy was pretty much guilty of having left behind his two best friends and plunging them into so much despair. Sneaky, though, was completely caught by another devastating truth. Now that his best buddy was alive, there would be a lot more to confront than he had previously anticipated. And we all know why.

"I…I'm going to make it up to her." Flippy piped up. "I've decided it…I am going to propose to her."

Flippy bit his lips nervously. He had said it with much determination. Poor boy, completely oblivious as he was, he peeped slightly at Sneaky to check on his response. He hoped he would gain some support from his friend. Sneaky only glanced ahead, hollow-eyed. Only after a few minutes did he turn around and face Flippy.

"W-What…do you say?" Flippy asked with a faint smile, itching for an answer. It would only sound reasonable that he was behaving this way. His ignorance was simply a result of the fact that he still didn't realize his letters concerning his last wills had been delivered to his two friends during the period when the army mistook his death. He thought nothing had changed since he left. But wrong was he. So wrong.

"Good…" Sneaky merely stuttered.

"Good?"

"I guess…"

He wondered why he could even blurt out such a lie. Of course Flippy was going to take Flaky as his bride because he knew nothing at all. If he had learnt the truth that his best friend had deflowered his lover, Sneaky doubted if Flippy would still smile that way. But no, hell no, there was no way he was going to confess to him. He wouldn't dare. He couldn't allow himself to do that.

Even if it was basically tearing him apart, the gentle male would still give his blessings with his whole heart. A dream or not. A delusion or not. Everything that had happened between him and Flaky had been both heaven and hell. The mind of his could never withstand the betrayal he had committed. He could never be able to tell Flippy he had fallen in love with Flaky. Everything simply went out of control. Form the very beginning, Flippy should never have entrusted Flaky to him, of which Sneaky was sure. He could never suppress his own desires and counteract the evilness of double-crossing his best friend. In the end, all that remained was a mingled, corrupted bond between the three of them. Everything went out of track. Things were so much twisted, rotten and irreversible.

To redeem his faults, he had to think of something fast. And stupid was he- Sneaky actually thought it would be the best to step out of this sophisticated relationship. Even when his heart was practically screaming the moment Flippy announced that he loved Flaky and even when he had a tendency to yell mercilessly at his best friend for having abandoned such a sweet, delicate girl, he swallowed back all his words and stayed mute. He watched Flippy grin merrily at his approval.

A loyal friend he would be. He had been a traitor who bedded his best friend's crush. And now this best friend had returned hunting for the girl he had missed. Sneaky couldn't tell how ironic and distorted things were. He wished someone could answer to him why the reality was tormenting his broken soul.

He was beyond grateful and pleased that Flippy had lived. A part of him though, couldn't deny that he had wished Flippy had never shown up again. It was such a selfish and nasty thought that he could never go along with. He could never imagine himself deliberately ruining Flippy's life in exchange for his own happiness.

He loved Flaky, all right, but the primary person she loved was Flippy. He had always regarded himself as a substitute. Now that her previous lover had returned, Sneaky would, as he deemed, slowly and soundlessly, drift away. He would leave his friends alone and for the rest of his life, repented the mistakes he had ever made. For instance, having robbed Flaky of her innocence.

"I'm going to cook something for her before she wakes up." Flippy giggled and stood up.

"She likes eggs and toasts." Sneaky said. "Scrambled eggs, not boiled ones."

Flippy lifted one of his brows and smiled in amazement. "Wow, you surely know well what she likes to eat."

Sneaky didn't respond. How could he not know what she liked after having lived with her for almost a year? They might as well go for a married couple.

There was just too much Flippy didn't know or didn't care to know. Sneaky must admit Flippy was careless at times. The way he was unaware of Flaky's genuine affections and longing for recognition was the best evidence of all.

"Wait, you can't give her that tea." Sneaky said, snatching the tea bag from Flippy's hands. "She always has nightmares after drinking it."

"Really? How about coffee?"

"No, she'll have insomnia."

"Ah, silly of me. Thanks, Sneaky." Flippy chuckled. "A cup of milk will do then?"

"Yes." Sneaky nodded.

"Seriously, I…I can never thank you enough for this." Flippy said. "You've been taking care of her in my place and it's almost been a year. It must have been hard. I'm sorry I couldn't return much sooner. And I've taken away a year of your life just to… just to wait foolishly for me."

"That's okay." Sneaky said, faking a smile. "I would never say I have wasted a year waiting for you. There have been both hard and happy times. At least, you're back now. That's all that matters."

"Yes, you're right." Flippy grinned. "You're my best friend, Sneaky. Please tell me if there's anything I can do for you."

Sneaky frowned but managed to force himself to reply. "Well…look after Flaky…"

"I will. I swear I will take good care of her. I love her so much."

The fact that he could no longer take care of Flaky was simply heartbreaking for Sneaky but he wouldn't let anyone hear his heart shatter into scattered pieces. He would let his tears out uncontrollably on the day he officially handed her back to Flippy. He would turn away from the couple and quietly weep on his own.

That would be his fate. Their fate.

* * *

Flaky fluttered her eyes to gawp at the greenette beside her. Flippy had her hands firmly in his grip. His lips parted to reveal a relieved smile. The redhead could still barely believe that her lover had returned from death. Or more precisely, he had never died. How could the world be so cruel, to toy with her heart, ripping it into pieces and out of the blue, trying to stick them back together with glue? There was something that could never recover though. Her broken wills and bleeding love would always stay with her. As she slowly turned her head to ogle the boy standing next to Flippy, her heart shivered. It was as though she could see through Sneaky's feigned smile. Beyond those seemingly reassuring facial remarks, it was a mixture of apprehension, sullenness and melancholy. He would wish he was the one embracing her small palm; the one kissing her cheek and licking off her tears and the one whispering into her ears to tell her 'I love you.'

Nonetheless, reality was ever so merciless. It was Flippy who was now stroking her hair and caressing her face. He was now the one nuzzling her neck and murmuring sweet promises to her. Sneaky had no idea why he was still standing there, witnessing everything. He exhorted himself not to interfere with the couple because he should have seen it coming when Flippy returned. Even if it surprised him just as much as it surprised Flaky, he should have prepared for it. Flaky was never his. She had always belonged to Flippy. He was literally just a replacement, could as well go for a back-up choice. He had admitted it so himself. And he had claimed that he was fine with it.

_Now, why was his heart aching so much?_

_His dearest friend was back but he wasn't happy at all._

_At all._

The redhead, indeed, realized what was going on. She winced gingerly at Flippy's kiss and kept her eyes focused on Sneaky. The boy she had made love with could only look as another male touched her, not to mention this male was his very best friend. The dilemma was killing both of them. Either of them could muster the courage to unravel what had gone wrong between them. They could only glance plainly at each other.

"Sneaky, I have something to tell Flaky. Do you mind…" Flippy said, brushing his arm against the girl's wasit.

"Of course not." Sneaky smiled. "I'll be going now."

Flaky wanted to mouth 'stop' but as usual, Sneaky's action preceded her speech. As requested by his best friend, the boy walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Flaky and Flippy alone in silence.

"Oh Flaky, you can't imagine how much I missed you!" Flippy said, hugging the girl tightly. "I kept thinking of you. Every day and night, all I could do was to pray to return to you! I'm sorry to have you made you wait. Oh, I'm so sorry, Flakes."

"It's…okay…" The redhead stammered. "I…I missed you too."

"You must be mad at me, right? You must have thought I've broken my promise! Please, if you're angry, shout at me and do whatever you please. I deserve it. Sneaky told me how sad you were when you heard the false news. I can never forgive myself for leaving you behind. I swear, Flaky, from now on, I'll always stay with you. I'll never leave you again."

"I…I…" The redhead pondered for a long moment. Normally, she would be beyond ecstatic to hear such beautiful phrases from Flippy. And yet, this time, she couldn't feel anything. Why, she wondered. Her hope had drained away long ago. Her faith in him had long been disrupted by trauma and lies. She would still choose to believe him if she wanted to. At this moment though, her mind was engulfed in bleakness. She couldn't find the light out. She could only think of Sneaky when it was Flippy who was conversing with her.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Flippy said. "I'll be here with you no matter what. I've promised Sneaky I will take good care of you. I love you, Flaky. I'm sorry I have never said it right. I truly love you and would like to be with you forever."

Flaky sighed. Why couldn't he have confessed earlier? Why?

Why must he torture her this way? Filling her with love and then snatching the hope away from her and now coming back for forgiveness and reconciliation? How was she to cope?

"Thank you, Flippy…" In the end, the girl replied. "I'm glad you're back."

The soldier looked a bit staggered as in some way he had expected her to say she loved him too. Still, he couldn't care less. He was simply contented to be able to enfold her with his arms once more.

"Please, Flaky, will you marry me?" Flippy proposed. "I'll love and cherish you until I die."

The redhead looked at the young sergeant in horror. In all her life, she had never thought a marriage proposal could appear so frightening. It wasn't Flippy that terrified her. It was her own feeling that was pushing her over the edge. She could never possibly respond to his proposal, could she? Not when her mind was constantly drifting off to think of another boy.

"Flippy, I-"

"It's okay." Flippy shushed her, grinning. "You don't have to answer me right away. I'm just letting you know it would be my utmost pleasure to take you as my bride. I would want to marry you and live with you forever. I will wait until you're ready. Just tell me when you are, love."

The greenette kissed her hand gently, proud that he had finally confessed to her.

The girl, however, wasn't at all delighted. What Flippy couldn't see was her awfully disconcerted expression. Beyond that, her mind was immersed in chaos and agony. Remorse and sorrow washed over her as she struggled to remain sane in this nerve-wracking love predicament.


	10. Tension

A week had passed since Flippy's return. Everything seemed to have returned to normal but the truth was always hidden behind the masks. For Flaky and Sneaky, it was an absolute torment that they could hardly interact much in Flippy's presence. Despite bearing so much burden, there was no passage for them to speak for their apparently ruptured relationship. They could have endured more if it wasn't for this burning sensation that was waiting to burst out of their heart, right through their lips.

One fine, glorious day, when Flippy was called away by their neighbour Lumpy to help with his broken drain pipe, Flaky and Sneaky were eventually left alone. The male was sitting on the couch reading newspapers, though his mind was clearly going astray. He just couldn't comprehend a single damn sentence without reading it several times. Similarly, the redhead's mind was completely off track. She dropped a dish and the shards went spraying all over the kitchen floor. Abruptly, the boy rushed to check if she was alright. Flaky smiled slightly as he touched her bleeding thumb. It had been a while since they had ever displayed any physical contact. This reminded her how once she had dropped a coffee cup and he had grown so worried over her wound. He had always offered to clean up the mess. In fact, he was always there to clear the aftermath for her.

"S-Sneaky…" The redhead muttered. She couldn't describe her happiness as she was able to stare at him this close.

"Just a moment, Flakes. I'm going to get the kit." Sneaky said, obviously concerned about her cut.

"No, Sneaky. Stay." Flaky demanded, grabbing Sneaky's wrist. The boy blushed and frowned at her.

"But-"

"Please, I-I need t-to talk to you." Flaky said.

"Yes?"

"S-Sneaky…the other day…F-Flippy asked me to…to…" Flaky sputtered. "To…marry him."

"Is that so?"

The girl looked up at Sneaky anxiously. She was waiting for him to say more but those words never came. He was hardly blinking an emotion. What more could he say? He was interested in knowing her answer to Flippy's proposal though.

"I…I haven't replied him yet…" Flaky said, flushing.

"Why?"

"B-Because…I…I can't marry him…" The redhead trailed off, her face reddening so much that it looked as if it would boil in any second. The boy sighed. "Flaky, you should have said 'yes'."

"Why?" Flaky widened her eyes, flustered.

"You love him, right?" Sneaky said casually, his mindless tone enough to break the redhead's heart.

"No!" Flaky yelped. "I mean…yes…I love him. But… But I-I love you, too!"

"Flaky, you can't linger between two." Sneaky said. "You have to choose one and I'm sure you're better off with Flip."

"Why…" By then, the girl could hardly refrain herself from bursting into tears. She hated it when Sneaky told her to pick Flippy instead of him. She hated it when he was presuming her decision without acknowledging her own feelings. And she hated it when he actually reckoned Flippy was better than him! She knew Sneaky understood her but he was deliberately coaxing her to choose Flippy to make himself feel better. Even if it was never honorable to betray his own heart and it was a little bit too late to redeem his sins, he still preferred seeing her with another guy. How foolish and irritating…

"Why are you d-doing this to me?" Flaky bawled. "Why must I-I pick F-Flippy? It's my choice! Or did you s-stay with me just because he asked you to? You were only loving me in his place, right? You never truly wanted me… You were just returning his favor. And yet…and yet…you…you did it with me… You made me fall in love with you and now you're tossing me away as if nothing's ever happened… I-"

"I'm sorry, Flakes." Sneaky grunted, cuddling the sullen girl. "But we really can't stay like this forever. You have always loved him way before you fell for me. Now that he's back, you should be happy. And he's finally taking you as his bride, which is something you've always dreamed of, right?"

"Yes…but…but…" Flaky croaked. "It's different now… I… I can only think of you, Sneaky… All this time, I can only think of you!"

"Flaky, we can't do this to Flippy."

"Sneaky, you can't do this to me!"

"I-"

"Please!"

The girl crushed her lips against his. The boy flinched a little and attempted to push her off. Flaky pressed on, shoving him to the wall. He could feel her hot tears stinging his skin. Her eyes were shut and she was quaking in every breath. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. Those desires that had been accumulating within him were released at once. He could no longer suppress the urge to hold her in his arms again. _She was his._ She ought to belong to him only.

The redhead muffled a moan as he picked her up and seated her on the table, her legs circled tightly around his hips. As they plunged deeper into their passionate kiss, they were granted back the sensations they had once itched for so long. They grew completely ignorant to their surroundings, for there were only the two of them, making out on a kitchen table and their tongues swiveling in each other's moist cavern wrestling for dominance. Before long, they could hardly notice the young soldier standing at the door.

"What are you doing?"

The cold, raspy voice snapped the two back to reality. They withdrew from each other and glanced at the interferer. Flippy, burning with rage, glared at the couple. He wouldn't have made a noise if they weren't kissing so…passionately. It was more than a mere kiss. He was touching her and she was groaning in bliss. Tears welled up in Flippy's eyes as he scowled in angst.

"F-Flippy…" Flaky gasped.

"Flippy, we-"

"Don't say anything." Flippy said, sniffling in anger. "You two… ha, you two might as well tell me before you do this behind my back!"

"Flippy!" Flaky jumped back onto the ground, weeping.

"Flip, I-" Sneaky spoke but was again cut off promptly.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP." Flippy roared. "I don't need any excuses. I've seen enough! You…You're all traitors! Screw you!"

With that, the furious soldier stormed out of the house, leaving the place in utter silence.

Sneaky turned back to glimpse the girl who was crying uncontrollably in one corner. Rivers of tears were smearing her face which was torn in both regret and misery. The boy loomed closer to her and petted her cheeks.

"Flakes, can you tell me which one of us you love more?" Sneaky asked, determined to elicit a response from her.

The redhead could only gulp and shake her head. If she could slice her heart into half, she would have loved both males equally. Now that Flippy had found out their relationship, he was going to loathe them for sure.

"It's alright then." Sneaky smiled vaguely, ruffling Flaky's hair. "I'll settle things for us."

The boy stood up and marched towards the door. The girl panicked, tugging his jacket in uncertainty. "S-Sneaky…where are you going?"

"To make things right for us." Sneaky said. "Don't worry. I'll get him back."

* * *

The heartbroken soldier sat down on a bench, fierce voices reverberating in his mind. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. He puffed and groaned. There was a beast inside him that was waiting to hop out and he knew well he had to stifle him. Otherwise, the result would be another bloodshed massacre. After nearly an hour of self-control, Flippy, at the very least, was able to restrain his inner monster. His heart, though, was still aching. His anger died a little as he began to ponder over why things had turned so bizarre and disarrayed.

He had, nonetheless, only himself to blame for what he had witnessed. If he remembered it correctly, he had written a letter containing his last will before he set off for his mission. When the army mistakenly thought he was dead, they must have sent the letter to Sneaky. It was reasonable that he had read through it and had done according to Flippy's wishes. Theoretically, he had never betrayed him. Flippy was the one who chose to go back to the military and leave his milady in the hands of his best buddy. He should have foreseen this long ago. He knew Sneaky had always been having a crush on her since they were early teens. Yet, a relationship could hardly accommodate three participants…or could it? Would Flaky be happy if both of them stayed beside her? Could the boys really resist their own beastly desires and jealousy?

Fighting and killing had never troubled Flippy as much as this tangled love issue. If only he was still in the battlefield, there was still a slight chance of escape. Although it wasn't a decent thing to do, he could still just flee and abandon his honor. But now, there was no way for him to dodge from the problem. And he swore he would rather die than resolve this twisted combination of love and hatred, grief and agony.

"Flippy…"

A voice he hated and yet loved so much cooed. Slowly, the soldier lifted up his head and gawked at Sneaky.

"Can I sit next to you?" The boy asked.

Flippy didn't answer. Assuming his approval, Sneaky sat down beside his friend. They both remained speechless for a while.

"Sneaky, you got my will, right?" Flippy asked. "They sent you the letter because they thought I was dead."

"Yes."

"But even before that, you've always loved her." Flippy concluded. "So it doesn't really matter."

"It does." Sneaky argued. "Flippy, she wants both of us and we know it won't work this way. You do remember what she promised us 12 years ago? We all thought she was having a joke but she was damn serious about it!"

"What?" Flippy said. "You mean the marriage promise?"

"Yea. She really thought she could marry both of us."

"Ugh, she…she's just innocent…I guess."

"She is." Sneaky corroborated his mate.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry." Flippy purred.

_"How is it his fault?"_ Sneaky wondered. "_I'm the one who bedded her!"_

"No…" Sneaky stood up and squatted down before Flippy. "Flip, I ought to apologise to you. We should never fight over this matter. I'm sure she loves you much more. She's been waiting for you all this time. She just needs some adjustment to your return. The problem is, as long as we both stay beside her, she can never pick one out of us. So, I'll be going back to my home. Since you're now back and safe, I'll leave her to your care."

"No! Are you crazy? You're the one she loves! I saw the way you two kissed. I-I…" Flippy paused. "I could never kiss her that way…And she never moaned in my arms…"

"That's not true. The one she really wants to hold is you. She only sees me as your replacement." Sneaky said modestly, not caring how deceitful he might look. "She's never betrayed you. I'm the one who seduced her. I'm sorry, Flip. I'll be going soon."

Flippy didn't know whether he should smack Sneaky or applaud for him. How Sneaky had let those words out appalled him. He was not that stupid. How could Sneaky think he could get away with such a foolish excuse? Flippy knew better than anyone else his friend could never have seduced Flaky. They succumbed to each other because they were mutually in love.

"You should get back to her, Flip." Sneaky said. "You can't just leave her crying her eyes out thinking that you hate her now. And you've promised me that you would never make her sad again."

"Yes…" Flippy nodded. "You're right..."

* * *

The redhead lay silently on the floor, her eyes blinking idly ahead. Her sobs had ceased but her heart continued to bleed. She had ruined everything. She had made two best friends turn against each other for the pure reason that she fell in love with both and failed to choose one out of the two. She, herself, felt so ashamed and remorseful. She despised herself for being such an indecisive and selfish person. How in the world could she possibly think that she could live with two men underneath the same roof? It would be a joke. It remained so.

When the door was busted open and a shadow loomed towards her, she whirled around hopefully, expecting to meet a pair of friendly eyes, be it Sneaky's or Flippy's. Or even better, she prayed to see them both standing in front of her so that the three of them could finally negotiate something and come to a compromise. They had to sorted this out sooner or later.

And yet, the person before her was a complete stranger. Dressed in navy-blue army attire, the soldier glared down at the mystified girl. In a split second, a group of silhouettes that had been lurking about her threshold popped up and surrounded her. There was not a single minute for her to scream or to struggle. A sharp pain slapped her head and she fainted, her world enveloped in pure darkness.

The two green-haired boys reached the house some hours later, only to be stupefied when they couldn't find their lover. They searched the house and tracked down every street in the neighbourhood, eventually discovering a hand-written note on the kitchen table.

_I am leaving this town. Don't come after me._

_Love,  
Flaky_

The boys exchanged an obfuscated glance before running off to the direction of the town's boundary as fast as they could.


	11. Trap

The redhead was woken by a light splash of cold water. Her eyes twitched and slowly opened to embrace the pitch-black surroundings, her sensitive ears picking up the constant dripping sound of the rusty water. She squirmed feebly, her wrists wiggling within the tight knot of a thick nylon rope. She tried to squeal but her sound was deflated by the duct tape firmly attached to her mouth. She began making soft, babbling noise in an attempt to catch someone's attention. A minute later, footsteps could be heard shuffling towards her direction. A pair of rough, strong hands grasped her chins, hoisting her entire body up and bringing her into the dim light. Flaky now got a clear view of her abductor. The man in navy-blue uniform stared at her with somewhat amusement. His cerulean eyes sparkled with malice. His gaze was so sharp that a glimpse of it was enough to penetrate a thousand souls. His brown hair was combed in a slick-back style, his forehead covered by the edge of his beret.

"Miss, that's a hell lot of blood you're bleeding." The man smirked, eyeing Flaky's wounded wrists. "I suggest you stop struggling. It won't help much."

"Emmm…" Flaky moved her lips, desperately trying to make a speech. The man smiled and removed the duct tape. The redhead gasped and coughed. Tears blurred her vision as she felt pain spreading all over her ravaged body.

"W-Who…are you…" She stuttered, still puffing. "Why…why did you m-make me…write that note…Why did you…take me…here…Where am I…"

"Well, you have quite a number of questions, don't you?" The man chuckled, casually sitting down on a wooden bench inside the eroded cell. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Colonel Blue Tigers. You might not have heard of me but surely, you've heard of Tiger General, right? Your boyfriend should've told you some of his war stories. Let me put it this way. Tiger General, the one your lover has killed, is my father. And I don't suppose I have to elaborate further on this subject. My reason being here is simple. It's to avenge my deceased father, the most gallant and honored fighter of the Tiger Nation. And you here, miss, are an acquaintance of Fillip Bears, our army's greatest nemesis. You wouldn't believe how many years we've been trying to hunt him down. Well, at last, we've got him in Happy Tree Town. Forgive me for holding you a hostage, but you really are a good bait to be sure."

"A-Are…you…going to kill Flippy?" Flaky stammered, straying away from the young colonel.

"Kill? Funny you should say that." Blue cackled, his sinister laugh echoing in the daunting darkness. "I'm going to send him back to hell."

"Y-You…can't kill him…" Flaky said. "You won't be able to kill him…"

"Maybe not. Who knows?" Blue snickered, standing up. "Either way, we're going to finish it with a fight. I won't let it go until I have him finally in my grab. He's going to pay for whatever he's done to our army. We've lost far too many comrades to his hands. Revenge is all we seek. His death is our justice."

"No…" The redhead shook her head in fear. The man strode towards her in silence and put the duct tape back on her mouth. "Enough talk, lady. If you're lucky, you'll survive. If your boyfriend can't save you in time, let's hope you two can meet in the hell. Haha."

Blue left the redhead shuddering in one corner and proceeded to walk out of the cell. He locked the gate and grinned for one last time. "By the way, since you asked about our location, I'll tell you we're outside the boundaries. This is an abandoned army base. If you die, I'm sure you're not going to come back tomorrow."

Flaky watched the fierce, vengeful man disappear from her sight. He had brought the candle out with him. As the only source of light was gone, the helpless girl was plunged back into absolute darkness. She continued to slither across the ground. She kicked and wriggled but both her arms and legs were tied in dead knots. The ice-cold surface of the damp floor made her shiver. Besides weeping and praying, she could only choke in her breathes.

Indeed, Flippy had shared with her some of his war stories. She had always heard of this epic, ferocious villain called Tiger General. The whole Tiger lineage was nothing but a group of aggressive invaders. A few years back, the Tiger Nation was planning to expand their territories, laying their eyes on this particular village in Happy Tree Forest. Soldiers were recruited to battle with the Tiger army and among these soldiers who were willing to bet on their life to protect their home country, there were the two boys Flaky cherished the most in her life. It was lucky the fight took place near the town's border. As the town was cursed with an inconceivable devil's spell, anyone granted immortality would die permanently once they crossed the boundaries. In that horrendous fight, Sneaky died and Flippy flipped out for the first time after unintentionally killing his comrades. He tackled the rest of the Tiger army and most of all, their leader, Tiger General. From what Flaky could gather, Tiger General's corpse was tossed outside the border so he could never be resurrected. Flippy's group, needless to say, returned with glory. They were all honored and praised for their deeds.

And yet…misfortune never left them alone…Bad luck was another component of the town's curse. As much as everyone strove to lead a peaceful, happy life, they found themselves caught in endless hardship and predicament. They could never escape the hands of devils or the invitations of hell.

This time, a brand new enemy was chasing after Flippy. Flaky wondered if her note had been read by the boys yet. She had a feeling that both Flippy and Sneaky would show up. Blue would be surprised but considering his callous nature, he might actually fight as brilliantly and brutally as his father.

_Years of hunting him down…_

It seemed to the redhead that the young colonel had been bearing more grudge than any words could describe.

In the deepest corner of the cell, Flaky could only wish for the best to come.

The two greenettes ventured deep into the forest. They had crossed the boundaries but they couldn't care less. All that flashed across their mind was the hopeful anticipation that their lover would come back to them.

"Flaky!" They screeched but the sound of her name only bounced off from the trees and reverberated loudly in the groves.

"Damn it." Flippy whined. "Where's she?"

"Flip…don't you think there's something wrong with the note?" Sneaky said skeptically. Now that they both paused to contemplate, they found the whole incident increasingly suspicious and peculiar. "Say, I don't think Flaky would've done something so…impulsive. Yea, we might have gotten her worrying sick but she would never think of fleeing…Even if she wants to avoid us, she could've just gone without a word. Leaving a note asking us not to come after her is simply atypical."

Flippy brooded over Sneaky's speech. He couldn't deny his friend, being a talented tracker, always had a cautious brain and a lucid mind. His words caught Flippy, rendering him more befuddled.

Nonetheless, there was no turning back now. They had both gotten out of the town unarmed. If anything should occur, they had at least each other to cling to.

"I agree with you." Flippy said. "I don't know whose trick it is but I'm sure she's somewhere around. What do you think?"

"I think you're probably right." Sneaky replied. "We'll have to find her."

The duo continued pelting between bushes, their mind growing more muddled as time ticked by. Their worries were intensified when they heard unknown rattling noise looming towards them. Someone…was hiding behind the hedge. They were waiting for a signal to hop out and start their mission.

"Shit. This isn't right…Someone's watching us." Flippy whispered, his pupils dilating in defense.

"Ten of them." Sneaky answered swiftly. "Two in the front, three on the left, one on the right, four behind our back."

At times, Flippy had to admire Sneaky's incredible skills of tracking people but again it wasn't the right moment to acknowledge his competence. They had far worse issue to combat with.

"What the…"

Before Flippy could finish his utterance, the two boys found themselves completely ambushed. The said ten soldiers all leaped out and surrounded them. The mere sight of rifles was enough to set Flippy off. His eyes flickered to a sickening yellow. As he turned back to wink at his comrade, a smirk crept over his face.

"So long for now." He snickered in his deep, hoarse voice. "Show me what you've still got, Sneaky. I'll go for the left. Haha."

With that, the boys split their paths, each taking a side to batter their attackers. The soldiers fired but the bullets could only swish through the air. A wicked turn knocked off a poor assailant's shotgun. He pulled out a dagger but his wrist was immediately clasped by the malevolent opponent. With a forcible twist, Fliqpy wrung the socket out of the man's wrist. The soldier shrieked in agony as the steamed sergeant kneaded his elbows and fractured his spine, finally shoving a bowie knife down his throat. Things were going just as brilliantly on Sneaky's side. The boy did an excellent job in dodging from the gun shots. As retaliation, he managed to snatch a rifle from his foe and slaughtered the team in one flash. The unexpected outbreak left the two boys breathless and alerted. When all ten enemies were at last thrashed to death in the most excruciating way, the duo let their guards down a little to ponder over their current situation.

"Fuck…where did they all come from?" Fliqpy cussed. "They're all wearing Tiger Army's uniform!"

"I thought we've defeated the Tiger Army long ago…" Sneaky puffed. "How did they-"

"I'll answer for you." A gruff voice said. Instinctively, the boys turned to face their ultimate rival. Blue emerged from the bushes, hands behind his back. The colonel was guarded by a dozen more young soldiers, all preparing to fire at the two trespassers.

"Who the hell are you?" Fliqpy interrogated, growing wary of the amount of soldiers Blue had brought along with him. There was no way he and Sneaky could tackle so many assailants without any weapons of their own.

"I'm Blue, the son of someone you've killed four years ago." Blue said. "You shouldn't have forgotten it."

"Really." Fliqpy quipped. "I don't remember so. There're tons of trash I've killed."

"You!" The blue-uniformed colonel howled. "Mind your speech because later you'll need it to beseech for mercy, haha! And I'll tell you, your lady is in my hands. You had better do as I say."

"What? You kidnapped Flaky?" Sneaky bawled, glaring at the man before him.

"Ah, I remember you. Sneaky, right? My father did warn me about this extraordinary, mindful tracker. It's actually quite hilarious when you got killed by your own best friend last time, haha." Blue laughed hysterically. "We're only asking for Flippy but again, a company won't hurt much. We'll kill you both in one time. How gracious."

"Ugh, you make me sick." Fliqpy growled, clenching his fists sternly.

"Ready to fight huh?" Blue smiled. "Ay, not yet. Remember, I have your treasure. Or should I say, both of your treasure. I can see some tension here. Perhaps you guys should settle your own issues first before turning against me."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Fliqpy bellowed. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"Somewhere, in the dark, on the brink of death, I suppose." The colonel taunted. "How about we have our duel first? We'll see if you can save your precious lady. She's so frail that for once I did consider breaking her."

"What…What did you do to her?" Sneaky roared.

"Nothing much. Threatening her to some point. She's just the bait anyway. But I can kill her together with you guys."

"Not a chance!" Fliqpy squeaked. He made an advance but instantly stopped when all the guns pointed at him.

"Careful, Flip." Sneaky held his comrade back.

"We need a better place to finish our unfinished business." Blue beckoned to the boys with a sly grin. "Follow me. And you'll find your lost lady."

Left no choice, Fliqpy and Sneaky did as instructed. The soldiers kept their guns pointing in their direction. Any rebellion from the duo would result in immediate death. They couldn't afford to perish just yet. They still had to seek for Flaky. Before they could free her from the jeopardy, the boys would have to struggle to survive till the very end.

"Surely, you didn't expect me, right?" Blue muttered as the group marched towards a special destination. "I was there when you killed my father. I watched you rip open his abdomen and tear out his intestines. I was a member of the army. He brought me to fight alongside him. I was young then, too afraid to make a move and I regretted so. All the time, I stood behind the tree and saw you and my father fall off the cliff. You killed him. You crushed him with a log. You smashed his body into a gory mess. You might be able to forget that but hell no, I would never ever get rid of that scene. You'll have to pay for it, Flippy. I'm here to avenge my father and to make him proud."

Blue hushed when he heard a crack of laughter behind him. He turned around and scowled at Fliqpy.

"What's so funny!"

"Nothing." Fliqpy sneered. "It's just…I'm not sure if you can make him proud this way. You're going to die, Blue. So very badly of which I'm so damn sure. I'll slice you into half just like how I did to your father. Let me grant you a wonderful reunion with your little daddy."

"You're still pretty young, aren't you?" Sneaky added. "And you're a colonel?"

"I was sixteen when I first entered the battlefield with my father. For years, I trained myself so hard just to wait for this opportune moment to appear in my whole damn life!" Blue shouted. "It's not me who's going to die. It's you. Both of you! Screw you! Screw you all!"

"I think he's gone insane." Fliqpy whispered to his friend. "He doesn't know whom he's dealing with."

"I can't agree more." Sneaky nodded and murmured back. "I just feel like pitying him 'cause he sure as hell is going to die young. Even younger than us."

"Hey, I heard that!" Blue snorted. "And I swear I'm going to scotch those spiteful mouths of yours as well!"

"Bring it on, Blue." Fliqpy sniggered.

"We won't hold back either." Sneaky smiled.


	12. Salvation

It must be karma.

Or so she deemed.

The curse of infidelity had struck back. The spell of forbidden love was engulfing her, leading her life to an inevitable plight.

She knew she was in no place to blame anyone for her ordeal, for she was the culprit of it. She lamented at how fragile things were, including her life, her heart, her love… Everything was unavoidable right from the start. They were bound to happen. She was in love with two men and the most deplorable part was that they were best friends.

_Beep…Beep…Beep…_

The ticking of the digital clock foretold her doom, reminding her of the minutes and seconds her life still had to embrace before it came to an ultimate end.

She stared at the mini bomb attached to the bench. A beam of unfathomable hope and optimism incited her to crawl over to the bars. It was as though she was subconsciously expecting something, or perhaps someone to come and rescue her promptly. With much ado, she slouched against the cell door, collapsed exhaustedly from the writhing. Her tears had long stopped. Her eyes went hollow at the gaze of her little killer.

_5 minutes 55 seconds._

Soon, everything would be over.

She would pay for her sin and she would not wake up again.

It didn't sound so bad at all. At least, from now on, she could leave the two boys in peace. They wouldn't have to fight over her and debated who was better for whom. They both deserved someone better, far better than her, a girl who never learned how to repent properly for her adultery and for her crime of breaking two men's hearts at one time.

"Flaky!"

Was it an illusion or was her route to hell looming closer?

"Flaky!"

The voice sounded crystal clear. It was a bark, a desperate call for a lover.

"Ummmm….hmmm…" Still with the duct tape glued to her mouth, she could only best manage some audible moans. Footsteps were drawing closer as her heart thumped faster. She squirmed towards the iron bars and whined louder, shoving her body against the firmly hinged door.

"Flaky!"

A sudden bang on the door startled the traumatized girl. She gawked incredulously at the greenette standing outside her cell.

"Thank God, you're here!" His voice was tremulous, his expression ecstatic.

"Stay away from the door, Flakes. Quick!" Sneaky urged. The redhead complied still in a state of shock. A tiny device was stuck swiftly to door and within seconds, the metal was blasted into pieces. With the barrier demolished, the soldier leaped into the cell and embraced his lost lover.

"Oh Flakes, I miss you…I miss you so much." Sneaky wept repeatedly, slashing the ropes tied around the injured girl and removing the tape on her mouth.

"S-Sneaky…" Flaky blubbered, barely able to retain her composure. "The…The bomb…"

"Crap, I wish Mouse was here." Sneaky gasped, as the horrible countdown resounded all over the military prison.

_1 minute 25 seconds._

"We need to race, Flakes. Here." The boy heaved Flaky up into his arms, steady himself and with his lover carefully slung over his shoulder, he trotted out of the cell.

"You…How did you find me?" The redhead asked.

"Always a way there is, Flakes." Sneaky whispered.

They scuttled down a spiral stair, passed the endless corridor and scampered around a corner and made a U-turn, and another one and another one after that and…finally the gate of hope opened for them.

"Hold on." The boy yelped as they fled the place, just a fleeting moment before the entire construction exploded into billions of shreds. Through the descending rain of rubbles, a heart-wrenching shriek finally poured out of the befuddled redhead. She wailed and mourned. Tears returned to her sore eyes. She hugged her lover, crying for her life. She couldn't believe she had been saved yet again. It wasn't the first time he appeared when she thought everything was going to end. Every time, whenever she was inclined to think that her doom was destined, he had always been there to drag her out of despair, to refill her life with hope and twists.

"Sh…it's alright now, Flakes. It's alright. Your nightmare's over." Sneaky comforted her, gently stroking her back.

"I thought…I thought I would never see you again…Death would be…a remedy…It would be…Why did you come back for me…Why?" Flaky sniveled, burying herself wholly in the greenette's arms.

"Because I love you." Sneaky admitted unreservedly. "And I'll always come for you, dear."

"I…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" The redhead apologized. "For everything…For everything I've done to you and to Flippy…I…I don't deserve your rescue at all…I don't…"

"You know we'll always chase you down, wherever you are, Flippy and I will always rescue you…"

"Flippy…Flippy…is here?" The redhead froze, finally coming to senses.

"Yes he is…"

"Blue!" Flaky squealed. "That guy…he's planning on killing Flippy! You must save him, Sneaky! Flippy…he's being targeted!"

"I know." Sneaky replied. "He is battling with Blue right now…I must go and you stay here, Flakes. You hear me? You stay here." The soldier said.

"W-Wait…don't go! Don't…please…" Flaky cried. "Help…what if we go for help from the town…"

"Flaky, there's no time to go for any help. I was able to buy as much time as I could to get rid of Blue's soldiers and sneak away to save you. Flippy is fighting alone with the Tiger Army. I can't let him deal with that tyrant alone. I'm his only comrade now. I must assist him or I'll regret it for my whole life."

"Sneaky, wait!" Flaky hollered as the greenette slipped away as quickly as he had arrived.

The boy returned to his companion's side and was stunned to find a mountain of corpses piling up on the barren land where the duel was situated. Fliqpy had been giving his best shots. The strained soldier was wounded, nonetheless.

"Flippy!"

An assassin found its way to block Sneaky's advance. The said soldier swung his fist at his enemy, sparing him just sufficient time to pull out an unexpected pocket-sized grenade and aim it at the foe.

"I can't believe you brought a grenade with you!" Fliqpy exclaimed meters away, just when the colonel attacked him with another blow.

"Handy weapon." The skilful tracker shouted back. "Always proven useful at times like this." He continued to slug a few more raw soldiers with bare arms. It seemed to him that Blue's army was merely a group of inexperienced, untrained sordid savages. And the realization hit him that these soldiers were only recruited to keep anyone away from interfering with Blue's duel with Fliqpy. The young colonel wasn't even opting for an invasion or a revolution. He was just taking his vengeance on Flippy, the murderer of his father.

"Such pointless game has to end." Sneaky howled. "You're wasting your time, Blue, toying with your comrades' lives in meaningless revenge is despicable. Your action will never be pardoned by your Goddamn father."

"Do…not…humiliate…my…father!" Blue bawled as he seized his rifle.

"Woah, wait, you said we were only going down fist to fist with each other." Fliqpy yelled. "Or are you already spent? You can't defeat me with bare hands?"

"I will kill you in whatever way I want." Blue said. "Even if I can't tackle you with bare hands, let the bullet do the rest."

"This is so unfair. You are armed but we aren't. Your success will never be honoured, boy." Fliqpy laughed manically as if he didn't care his imminent peril at all.

"Shut up!" Blue vociferated and fired but missed Fliqpy by an inch as the soldier bounced off agilely. The colonel fired again and again and again. None of the bullets touched Fliqpy though.

The sergeant was starting to get carried away when a sudden screech alerted him.

"Look out!"

Sneaky warned, inserting himself between the flying dagger and the back of his comrade. He plucked the dagger out of his chest and flung it at one of Blue's soldiers hidden in the bushes. The ambushed soldier died in a flash.

"Sneaky?" Fliqpy gasped, his attention diverted at once.

Seizing the opportunity, Blue fired again.

"Damn it!" Sneaky, cradling his bleeding lesion, spun his friend around nimbly and blocked the attack for him the second time. The bullet penetrated his heart and blood spluttered like crimson petals.

"You…" Fliqpy growled and lunged towards the colonel. Blue fired several times, panicking. The attempts were futile as the enraged soldier leaped into air and crushed Blue to the ground, effectively kicking his rifle away.

"Time to end our game, you bastard." Fliqpy cussed. "I warned you. I've given you more than enough chances to step back. Your revenge ends here, Blue. You're done for."

The sergeant didn't wait for his victim's last will before he plunged his bowie knife into the wicked man's heart. Blue widened his eyes and glared at his rival one last time, before his body turned into an inanimate stone.

"Sneaky!"

Flippy raced back to his dying friend, unable to believe what was happening.

"S-Sneaky…" A familiar voice whimpered. As Flippy looked up, he saw Flaky dashing towards them, alive and safe.

"Flakes…" Flippy stuttered like a guilty kid caught in misery. He couldn't describe the exact situation to her. No, it was too unbearable.

"Sneaky!" The redhead kneeled down beside her lover and caressed him.

"Payback time…" Sneaky muttered with a faint smirk as more blood was coughed out from his mouth.

"No…don't speak…" Flippy said. "You'll be alright. I'll go for help now. No, let me bring you back into the town!" The sergeant attempted to lift his friend but Sneaky shook his head and declined his offer.

"Nah…it's fine this way…" He giggled.

"It's not fine…It's not fine at all!" Flaky cried. "Why? Why?"

"Yes…Why?" Flippy yelped. "Fool…you're a fool."

"Am I not…haha." Sneaky chuckled. "You saved me once, Flippy, back in Tiger Bomb Operation, remember? I'm just…returning you…what I've owed you…"

"You owe me nothing, Sneaky!" Flippy said. "It's me who owes you a lot. My life, Flaky and everything!"

"Flaky never belongs to me. She's your lover."

"You two are in love…I should have just rooted for you…" Flippy shook his head and sobbed.

"You know…you should have never entrusted her to me…" Sneaky tittered. "Such a contemptible and unreliable friend I have been…Flip…I'm sorry for betraying you…Take better care of Flakes from now on…Okay? Don't let any cunning one like me…snatch her away from you again…No one can replace you…Not me in a thousand years…We all know that, don't we? Right, Flakes?"

"No…we'll always be together…the three of us…it's a promise between us…you couldn't break it!" The redhead reminded.

The boy grinned at the pale girl, brushing his hand slightly across her cheek. "For you, silly girl…I…I can only say…"

"No…no, don't…say anything unnecessary…you'll live, Sneaky…You can't go…I won't let go…" Flaky wailed and held the boy close to her bosom. "I love you!"

"I'm sorry." The boy whispered. "Sorry…"

The soldier leaned against the redhead in glee, his hand falling limply to one side. The tears pelting down on his face granted him such pleasant warmth. The serenity of death's essence soothed him immensely. For a long time, he had been able to forgive himself for his mistakes. He could never condone himself enough. But this reassuring sensation of dying in the arms of his two precious loved ones seemed somewhat refreshing…and dreadfully pacifying. The relief was indescribable, the salvation breathtaking. Finally, he could take a break from all the remorseful days he had spent after falling in love with the wrong girl and double-crossing his own best friend.

He would love again, he believed…and next time, it wouldn't hurt as much as this time. He would love with his conscience and virtues. And he would rescue his lover more gallantly.

_"Sorry for loving you…"_


End file.
